Beget, the Pyrenean village that had no cell signal until well into the 21st century
Only residents with Vodafone have coverage at the moment
In this hyperconnected era where almost everything and everyone is just a few clicks or a few calls away, not having a functioning phone can be a limitation, an impediment to full participation in society.
But Beget, a small Pyrenean village in the municipality of Camprodon just a couple of kilometers south of the French border, did not have cell phone coverage until just last month.
Despite being one of the most visited medieval towns in the area, and despite having a cell phone tower since 2019, Beget's 40-something inhabitants lived in a phone signal dead zone up until very recently, as did those in the neighboring villages of Rocabruna, Bolós, Salarsa and part of Font Rubí.
"It must be 10 or 12 years since they've been planning to get us coverage," Xavi Payán, a Beget resident, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) in a recent interview.
Annabel, another resident, noted that there is still a sign in the town square informing people that a cell phone tower is being built. "If you look at the date on it, it's from 2016," she chuckled.
While some have gotten used to the joys of a silent phone, others note its many inconveniences.
Annabel, who owns a bakery, explained that not having cell service could be a "headache" when dealing with suppliers as it often means having to "guess" if they have dropped off packages at the gas station or at the post office all the way in Camprodon.
It also means not being able to do administrative procedures online as they often involve two-factor authentication, that is to say, an SMS.
"You have to leave the town and do them somewhere with coverage," Annabel said.
Now life has changed for some 200 people in Beget and the other villages in the area, but not for all residents: only Vodafone provides signal.
But Joan Sarria, the Camprodon council member in charge of communications, is hopeful this will soon change.
According to him, Movistar has pledged to expand service in the near future too, but is yet to "set a date."