The objective is to grant at least 125,000 bonds to these groups so that they can acquire a more affordable broadband connection package before December 31, 2023. Below, we explain who can request it, how they have to do it and which operators collaborate in the UNICO-Bono Social initiative.
What is UNICO-Social Bonus
In line with the Plan for Connectivity and Digital Infrastructures presented in 2020, at the end of last year the Government approved the distribution of 500 million euros for various digitization and connectivity projects that will be managed by the Autonomous Communities.
One of these projects is UNICO-Bono Social, which has a budget of 30 million euros and consists of the creation of a social bond that allows the contracting of new broadband connection services or the speed increase in those already contracted, with a minimum speed of 30 Mbps down.
It is intended for individuals or families identified as economically vulnerable and it opens the possibility of collaborating with the program to those operators that provide service, in all or in any of the autonomous communities and cities.
UNICO-Bono Social establishes a limitation of a single bonus per family unit and person of a maximum amount of 240 euros per year to be distributed in 12 monthly installments. Therefore, a program collaborator will apply a discount of 20 euros on the monthly bill for one year to the beneficiary of the digital connectivity social bonus.
Taking into account that there are already 300 Mbps fiber rates on the market for 25 euros per month, this subsidy would allow us to obtain that connection for only 5 euros per month.
How to request the digital connectivity voucher
Once the adhesion of the operators to the Autonomous Registry of Operators-Collaborators of the program has concluded (it has not yet finished in some Communities), the next step is the request for digital vouchers by natural persons or vulnerable family units.
The first requirement to request this voucher, therefore, is that you or your family have been classified as vulnerable by the Autonomous Community where you reside. Each Community establishes the situation that grounds the granting of the subsidy, so you must contact yours to confirm that you belong to a vulnerable group and you can be a beneficiary of the Digital Voucher.
The request is made in person or through an online form that you can find on the website of each Community. Here are those that have already launched the application: Basque Country, Valencian Community, La Rioja, Murcia, Balearic Islands, Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha.
Once the bonus has been granted by your Community (it may take several months), you have to contact the operator you want among those who collaborate in the program. Keep in mind that not all operators collaborate in all Communities:
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lowi: collaborates in Murcia, the Valencian Community, the Basque Country, La Rioja, the Balearic Islands and Galicia.
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Euskaltel: collaborates in the Basque Country.
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o2: collaborates in the Valencian Community, Galicia and Castilla-La Mancha.
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MoreMobile: collaborates in the Valencian Community.
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R.: collaborates in Galicia.