Infrastructures
Telephone networks and deploy new strengthened their infrastructures through a Capex of 8.401 million euros. Its priorities include the deployment of fiber, the development of mobile broadband and processing operations needed to gain efficiency and improve the cost structure. Its goal is to continue leading the digital transformation in the countries where it is present from the evolution of their networks and improving its service layer.
In 2008, Telefónica continued to transform its network to ensure both a supply with a growing gap in broadband and data services on mobile phones, to ensure the commercial deployment of fiber optics in homes.
This involved focusing on the following objectives: exploiting the scale and synergies between the Group's operations, increase quality and efficiency in project implementation and reduce the time of launch of services. To this end, we identified two key factors: rapid change and as homogeneous as possible networks, and standardize the components.
High-speed fixed access
In 2008, Telefónica continued to fixed access to the fiber optic technology GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network), or set of protocols and standards that enable deployment of voice, data and Internet. Specifically, although conditioned by the regulatory environment, we pre-deployment of fiber in Spain. He also started the development in other European countries. These deployments, which can achieve speeds of 100 Mbps depending on the configuration of clients, enabling the improvement of commercial Duet / Trio, with broadband services and television and even HD TV (HDTV).
In addition, the Company increased coverage Imagenio in Spain and expanded its availability to other European markets such as Czech Republic. TV services are also available in fixed operations in Latin America, and the service Imagenio will run in parallel with the deployment of fiber.
Mobile Broadband
In order to offer greater capacity mobile data connections, Telefonica extended the 3G technology in Latin America and Germany. In addition, the deployment of enhanced HSPA technology (allows better performance in the 3G network) in all European countries, especially Spain and United Kingdom. Thus, the Company increased its coverage to 75% in Spain, 90% in Ireland, or 89% of Venezuela to 91% in Argentina.
4G technology by 2008, Telefonica also began to analyze in depth the opportunities that can make the 4G mobile technology, LTE (Long Term Evolution), in collaboration with key industry suppliers and exchanging experiences with other operators. The objective is to conduct the first pilot in 2009. LTE technology enables the deployment of a mobile broadband network, complementing the existing, larger capacity and a lower relative cost per user / unit of traffic. This enables customers to have better features and new services and applications requiring more data traffic.
Red 'All IP'
The company worked to improve the performance of its transportation network, "All IP" (the network can provide all communications services through the IP protocol) in order to increase its capacity to support increased traffic from services and applications increasingly sophisticated. At the same time, the company focused on improving the robustness and redundancy of the network to guarantee quality of service and reduce incidents.
Control system IMS networks
During the past year, Telefónica implemented in Czech Republic, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, among others, the IMS (Internet Multimedia Subsystem), already operating in Spain since 2005. The IMS is a framework that, using standard protocols, it simplifies the control of the network and facilitates the creation and launch of new services.
Intelligence Network
In addition to performing the traditional analysis of the network as functions of traffic during the past year the Company began to give more intelligence to "characterize" its content. This allows better manage their use, to avoid congestion and fraud, and identify new business opportunities.
Service Delivery Platform
In 2008, Telefónica has defined the specifications of the service delivery platform (SDP - Service Delivery Platform). The platform, whose implementation will start in 2009, the Company will include any service, own or third parties, and any network operator in the group, without the need for specific developments. This will result in a wider range of services.
Digital Home
Last year, Telefonica worked with industry to standardize a common solution for home gateways, so that all devices in a "digital home" were compatible. Despite the complexity, the first products aimed at home in this new environment will be available in 2009.
Shopping and more efficient collaboration
Moreover, in 2008, Telefónica increased the selection of technologies and mapping single technology supplier for the whole group, to make purchases more efficient.
In turn, prompted the Company together with Telefónica I + D and all the Group's operations, partnerships with operators such as NTT, Verizon, Telecom Italia and China Unicom, and the main suppliers: Microsoft, Intel, NSN, Ericsson, NEC, Huawei, Motorola, Sony ...
Looking ahead, the priorities of Telefónica focus on fiber deployments, development of mobile broadband and processing operations needed to have a network as efficiently as possible, so that result in cost efficiencies.
Since late 2008, the network of Telefónica O2 Germany mobile coverage (GSM) to more than 99% of the población1. With this milestone, the company offers its customers voice and high speed data. In the same vein, the HSDPA coverage, which allows downloads of up to 7.2 Mbit, reached almost 100% of the network of third generation (3G).
Separately, in March 2009, Telefónica O2 Germany launched the O2 product SurfStick based HSUPA, 3G communications protocol to allow users, once the infrastructure permits, increase data speeds of up to 5.76 Mbit. This is the first step towards the planned deployment in 2009 of the protocols that HSPA + will actually speeds up to 28 Mbit downhill and uphill 5.76 Mbit.