We grow: More than 200 million customers in 23 countries

At the beginning of the year, following authorisation from the European Commission, Telefónica successfully completes the purchase of O2, the largest operation by a Spanish company abroad. Our perimeter changes significantly and the European market, which we had entered the previous year with the acquisition of the Czech operator Cesky, was extended to the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland, where we added around 25 million. In the same year Telefónica also obtained the third licence in Slovakia and we start operating under the O2 brand as well. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, we purchase 51.1% of the fixed-line operator Colombia Telecom. As a result, we manage more than 200 million customers worldwide and have operations in 23 countries. At that time we decide to move away from a service-based organisation to a geographic organisation and created three divisions: Telefónica Spain, Telefónica Latin America and Telefónica O2 Europe.

Ten years of Campus Party

In 2006, the scientist Stephen Hawking inaugurates by videoconference the tenth edition of the Campus Party, the macro Internet party held in Valencia. That year the fair was attended by more than 5,500 participants and was once again supported by Telefónica, the main technology sponsor. The company offered a bandwidth of 3.7 Gb, double that of the previous year, which meant providing the highest bandwidth for an event in Spain.

Submarine cable boosts 'Ceuta Digital City'

After overcoming various obstacles, anchorage areas for ships or uses of the seaport, the cable ship 'Teneo' has completed the installation of a fibre optic submarine cable across the Strait of Gibraltar, linking Ceuta with La Línea de la Concepción, Cádiz. Thanks to this cable under the sea, communication in Ceuta was greatly improved as part of the "Ceuta Ciudad Digital" project. By way of example, the number of simultaneous telephone conversations that could be held from the autonomous city would reach almost 60,500, almost ten times more than it could have previously.

We continue to support sport at the highest level, also at sea

Iker Martínez and Xabi Fernández, members of the Telefónica Movistar team and Olympic 49er sailing champions in Athens 2004, are defending the Telefónica MoviStar colours in the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race. This year we also support Gisela Pulido, the world kitesurfing champion, who at the age of 10 became the youngest world champion in the history of the sport.