Pre-MWC, Telefónica has detailed advances in AI-driven network automation and enterprise edge. It has 12 level-4 autonomous use cases across Spain, Germany and Brazil (targeting level 4 across its operations by 2030), and has partnered Mavenir on core AI, and expanded 5G/fibre edge-compute services nationwide.
In sum – what to know:
Level 4 autonomy – Telefónica has 12 level 4 use-cases for autonomous network functions; it will reach level 3.75 across its operations in 2028 and level 4 in 2030.
Core network R&D – Telefónica is working with US firm Mavenir to create a joint AI ‘innovation hub’ to integrate AI into the “evolution” of its core network infrastructure.
B2B edge services – Telefónica has activated B2B edge services in five more cities in Spain, combining data centre capacity with FTTH/5G; it will have 17 by the end of 2026.
Another interesting pre-MWC press dump, which we’re just catching up on; this time, from Spain-based operator group Telefónica, which has a couple of news items about network automation, including an R&D deal with US vendor Mavenir around AI in its core network and a full review of its Level 4 advances across its global operations, plus a detailed press note about rollout of edge services on its 5G and fibre infrastructure for enterprises in Spain. Its MWC message is the same as Ericsson’s yesterday: that AI is taking network automation further, and quicker, and that long-time 5G promises are nearing commercial reality, notably for enterprises. Here’s the news…
1 | Network autonomy – live uses cases and steady progress
Telefónica has claimed “steady progress” in its strategy to deliver fully-autonomous cellular network infrastructure, as defined in its own Autonomous Network Journey (ANJ) project, running since 2021. It has a dozen (12) level 4 use cases, as of the end of 2025 – categorised according to the TM Forum benchmark on network autonomy (levels 0 to 5). These are scattered across (“driven by the joint work of”) its operations in Spain, Brazil and Germany. Telefónica is on track to reach level 3.75 in 2028 and level 4 in 2030, it said.
It said its ANJ strategy has “far exceeded initial expectations”; its progress so far (12 level 4 use cases, on track to reach level 3.75 across the board by 2028) “already reflects a very advanced level”. It said: “What seemed to be a long-term journey has accelerated significantly thanks to… the operations teams of Telefónica Spain, O2 Germany, and Vivo (Brazil)… Twelve level 4 use cases consolidates the group’s position as a European benchmark in network automation.” The 2028/2030 targets were revealed at its Capital Markets Day in November.
Level 4/5 autonomy means networks that are “capable of self-learning, span multiple domains, and possess self-configuration, self-optimization, and self-healing capabilities”, clarified Telefónica. It said it periodically measures autonomy in each network domain (fixed access, mobile access, transport, IP, core, telco cloud), as well as in key processes (planning, testing, deployment, operations), and, thereby, identifies the “actual maturity” of each of its key operations in Spain, Brazil, and Germany. Its group level consolidates the three results in a standardized way.
Its existing level-4 cases (“capable of acting autonomously based on the intention transmitted by a human”) are “essential” to drive up its global average, it said.
It listed all 12, as follows: creation of network capacity (via Fractal at Vivo); digital twin for transport (NetOptimizer, O2 Germany); resolution of IP weaknesses (Telefónica Spain); resolution of 5G core issues (Vivo); design for fibre deployments (Smart CAPEX, Telefónica Spain); IP software changes (Telefónica Spain); IP configuration (Telefónica Spain); client fibre capacity (Fractal, Vivo); an analytics and diagnostics assistant (O2 Germany); in-service core software changes (O2 Germany); multi-domain detection of 4G/5G anomalies and root cause (O2 Germany).
Andrea Folgueiras, global chief tech and information officer at Telefónica, is talking about levelling-up with AI at MWC next week (Hall 3, Barcelona, March 3).
2 | Network autonomy – new AI innovation hub with Mavenir
More briefly, and related: Telefónica is working with Mavenir (via an MOU) to create a joint AI ‘innovation hub’ to integrate AI into the “evolution of core networks”. The new hub will emulate “production‑grade traffic patterns in a controlled environment” – as a “real‑world testbed” – for “AI‑driven autonomous network orchestration, intent‑based services, and AI‑enabled monetization frameworks”. Both companies will use it to test and refine “next‑generation solutions ahead of large‑scale commercial deployment”, it said.
A statement said: “Telefónica and Mavenir will shape new business models, align closely with operational units, and accelerate the development and launch of AI‑native solutions in core networks – firmly positioning Telefónica at the forefront of telecom innovation, service differentiation, and next‑generation monetization.” There was no confirmation of the whereabouts of the new AI hub, but it is presumably to be located in Spain.
Pardeep Kohli, president and chief executive at Mavenir, said: “With a long history of delivering core, voice, and messaging platforms across multiple Telefónica operating companies, we bring proven, production-scale innovation into this collaboration. By exposing these network capabilities through open interfaces, we enable AI to turn the network into a programmable service platform, creating a unique opportunity for Telefónica to operationalize AI, launch new digital and enterprise services faster, and unlock new revenue streams.”
The pair will demo “next-generation use cases in AI-enriched communications, autonomous service exposure, and intent-driven operations” at MWC next week (Barcelona, March 2-5), they said.
3 | Enterprise edge – more local compute nodes across Spain
Most interesting in ways, Telefónica has said it has activated commercial edge services for enterprises in five cities in Spain – in and around Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, and A Coruña. These are attached via 12 “infrastructures”, it said, which already work as edge ‘nodes’ in seven other locales – in Madrid (as a second), Barcelona, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid, Terrassa, and Merida. It will open five more locations in 2026, it said – in Zaragoza, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gijón, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and Santiago de Compostela.
As such, it will have 17 edge “nodes” in the country by the end of 2026, delivering edge-based computing capabilities on its fibre FTTH and 5G SA infrastructure. All its edge-node facilities are located in former copper exchanges converted into edge centres. The rollout is part of its so-called Edge Plan strategy. Its edge services also take advantage of the benefits offered by Open Gateway APIs, it noted. It is pitching edge compute and network services to the “tech vanguard associated with this new wave of digital transformation”.
It listed candidate sectors as logistics, retail, ports, and “society in general”, and likely applications as “mass comms, digital twins, and autonomous driving” – basically, wherever greater control, dynamism, and sovereignty over data is required.
The firm recently partnered with CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) to launch the “first European B2B pilot integrating edge and 5G SA capabilities applied to the railway sector”, it said. “CAF can deploy interior perception solutions based on artificial vision without the need to install processing nodes in each car, maintaining low latency and ensuring processing close to the asset. Following this innovation project, Telefónica is now beginning to market its edge services,” it stated.
The promise is for differentiated network and high-capacity computing services, plus data sovereignty and compliance. It said: “The new services allow information to be processed as close as possible to the activity, factory, office, store, or business – reducing latency, dependencies, and risks, which represents an evolution of the cloud offering.” Its B2B arm, Telefónica Empresas, is offering two levels of services: ‘basic’ (Edge Básico) and ‘smart’ (Smart Edge), where the first is localised and optimised, but also “static”, and the second brings other “dynamism”.
It offered extended descriptions of each service, as follow…
“Basic Edge defines an availability zone, allowing companies and administrations to deploy applications with additional guarantees of continuity and resilience. In terms of access to a node from a factory, store, or business, when the customer has Telefónica fiber (FTTH), the route that traffic follows between both locations is highly optimized and remains within the service region, reducing network hops. [It] opens up a range of sovereign cloud services, including advanced computing capacity, thanks to virtual machines with GPUs.
“Companies and institutions will be able to use these GPUs in service mode, with low latency and in a sovereign manner, without having to make the corresponding initial investment. It also incorporates sovereign AI capabilities through agents and adaptability with RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), which provide flexibility, accuracy, and scalability. Basic Edge relies on the best secure and controlled storage solutions, close to the data to avoid movement to the public cloud. The service also includes comprehensive license management.”
“Smart Edge [brings] low-latency connectivity in critical processes with the possibility of operating services on the move or in a distributed manner, all while bringing AI closer to the point where business activity takes place. This intelligent and dynamic service is capable of adding key advantages such as selecting the optimal node at the right time and instantiating applications – i.e., creating a single, functional operational copy (instance), allowing it to be executed in memory under the direction of the user, who chooses when it is in operation.
“[It] provides access to the chosen node via FTTH or 5G SA, with the option to request QoS and private 5G access points (APNs). Telefónica’s edge connects to fixed and mobile networks.”
The project is part of an Initiative of European Common Interest (IPCEI) coordinated by the European Commission (EC) to strengthen the digital capabilities of European industry. “Telefónica Spain’s proposal was the highest rated nationally in June 2021 and received the Commission’s backing,” the company said. EC approval brought financing via the Spanish government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Telefónica further explained the setup and sovereignty play, as follows…
“The nodes function as small, low-latency data centers to process, analyze, and store data. Thanks to edge technology, all of this is executed as close as possible to the source of the information, unlike large data centres or centralized cloud infrastructures… In addition to the high availability and elasticity of the cloud, edge computing adds technological features and greater control over data, which contributes to strengthening digital sovereignty within a framework of local regulations.”
“This deployment opens up the option of reducing technological dependence on service providers with platforms based outside the European Union. Instead of a closed, centralized solution owned by a large cloud provider, Telefónica’s Edge Plan offers an open, decentralized, multi-provider model in which interfaces are shared and interoperability is guaranteed, benefiting the ecosystem and, of course, future customers.”
