Telefónica has completed its pioneering deployment across Spain of 17 edge computing nodes, an advanced network that accelerates the country’s digital transformation and strengthens technological sovereignty by providing more and better services to businesses and government agencies nationwide.
Telefónica’s so-called Edge Plan, a leading project in Europe that provides Edge capacity, has already launched its services at nodes in Madrid (two), Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, Seville, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Bilbao, Valladolid, Gijón, A Coruña, Terrassa, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santiago de Compostela and Mérida.
Borja Ochoa, president of Telefónica España, announced this milestone at the DigitalES Summit: “Networks are critical to the country and the foundation of its digital sovereignty. That is why Telefónica, committed to being the primary gateway to digital technologies, already offers sovereign digital services through a commercial offering that encompasses networks, cybersecurity, AI, the cloud, and a pioneering deployment of edge computing nodes throughout Spain.”
During his remarks on the first day of this industry conference, Ochoa outlined the company’s proposal for Spain: “Telefónica offers a modular platform of sovereign digital services to help its customers—including government agencies, infrastructure providers, large companies, and small and medium-sized enterprises—assess, protect, operate, and evolve their essential digital assets. This is not an institutional statement on the importance of digital sovereignty, but rather a concrete commercial proposal to address a growing need for control, resilience, and technological autonomy.”
Ochoa emphasized the importance of digital and data sovereignty, as well as the ability to make decisions and exercise control over the assets that underpin the economy: “We’re talking about knowing where the data is, who processes it, who protects it, and who has the final say,” explained the president of Telefónica España, who, looking ahead to the sector’s evolution in Europe, has advocated for increased investment, the promotion of meaningful partnerships, and the evolution of the regulatory framework toward capacity building.
Innovation to provide more and better services
Technological sovereignty applies to networks, but also to cybersecurity, AI, the cloud, and edge computing, an area in which Telefónica has spearheaded an innovative deployment. The company has not only completed the rollout of 17 nodes but is also offering B2B (business-to-business) services within the productive ecosystems of each of these areas.
Edge computing enables data processing, analysis, and storage, functions that can be performed as close as possible to the data (at the edge), unlike traditional data centers or cloud computing.
Compared to cloud, edge computing offers a scalable and efficient architecture that brings processing and storage closer to the customer, allowing the information generated by a large number of devices to be managed near its source. In addition to the advantages of the cloud, such as elasticity and high availability, edge computing provides enhanced performance, lower latency, and greater control over data.
Edge computing also enhances the performance of next-generation networks such as FTTH fiber optics and 5G mobile technology, deployments in which Telefónica is a leader. In this way, edge computing is driving a new wave of advanced services. For example, in Industry 4.0, assisted driving, logistics, ports, retail, mass communications, and digital twins, among others. Edge computing is offering more and better services that make the latest digital technologies available to businesses, government agencies, and, ultimately, the public.
Telefónica’s project follows the European roadmap for the development of next-generation cloud-edge offerings, enabling businesses and public administrations to develop edge-based applications and reduce their dependence on cloud and edge service providers with platforms located outside the EU. Strategic on a continental scale, the project has been structured as a Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) coordinated by the European Commission, with various Member States participating by submitting proposals. In June 2021, Telefónica España’s proposal received the highest national rating and was submitted to the IPCEI for the development of edge computing.
