COLT Telecom Group plc (London) announced its Spanish subsidiary, COLT Espana SA, was awarded a license to provide an expanded range of telecommunications services, including switched voice telephony, in Spain. The license was awarded following the full liberalization of the Spanish telecommunications market on December 1, 1998. COLT began services in Spain in September 1998 via its 40-km digital fiber-optic network in Madrid. Service in Barcelona is planned for 1999.