LIVE FROM MWC25 BARCELONA: Telefonica detailed plans to create a centre of excellence to coordinate its work on quantum technologies, the latest push in a field executives have placed at the heart of its strategy.

Announcing the centre, outgoing global CTIO Enrique Blanco and successor Andrea Folgueiras (pictured right and left, respectively) explained Telefonica sees quantum technologies as the next step in a mission to serve society through connectivity.

Blanco said Telefonica had long “designed the networks of the future based on the choice of the right architectures and technologies”, as evidenced by deployments of 4G, 5G and FTTH in recent years.

Folgueiras said Telefonica’s approach would not change under her leadership, with plans to “continue maturing open architectures”, close-down legacy infrastructure, integrate cloud and AI, “and hyper-automating our infrastructure and processes until we reach the autonomous network”.

Management
Telefonica’s centre of excellence will coordinate innovative technologies, promote fresh connectivity approaches, and work with relevant third parties and research groups on quantum advances.

The operator stated communications and cybersecurity; computing and simulation; and sensors and metrology would be the centre’s pillars.

Telefonica is a proponent of quantum, but it is equally cautious about the additional risks the technology poses. It noted the centre would also engage in efforts to strengthen protections covering networks and customers as part of an ongoing approach of cryptographic agility involving systems which can react swiftly to threats.

It stated it advanced these goals by deploying AI analytics in 2024, a system it intends to push to a level whereby the network can make complex decisions independently by the close of this year.