Leading 5G and beyond from Spain
5G, the next generation of mobile connectivity
As likely many of the readers know, 5G is the next generation of mobile connectivity, which is being deployed these days, so it can take-off as the engine of our Industry digital transformation, very soon. Thus, 5G has become the archetype of modernization that the European industry requires to resurge, with renewed strength, from the pandemic.
Spain: a Europe 5G Leader
Spain starts from a leading position prior to the adoption of this new mobile generation. Spain is, behind Denmark and the Netherlands, the third country in the EU in connectivity, according to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DECI). It is an index with which the European Commission supervises every year the digitalization process in each member state. Spain is, therefore, a leader in connectivity among the big economies of the continent. A leadership that is a result of years of work in the telecommunication operators, that bet on investing in the latest generation’s networks during an unfavorable economic context as consequence of the 2009 crisis.
Digitalization in an Economic Crisis Context
Now, once again, the change in the tech generation (from 4G to 5G) is coming together with an economic crisis. This time, a great part of the European ‘socioeconomy’ and political leaders are trusting the recovery of the continent through the economy’s digitalization. Thus, maintaining Spain’s leadership has become nowadays for our country even more decisive than ever.
However, Spanish operators are immersed in what seems to be a never-ending pricing war and affected by regulations, not awarding enough their investing efforts. This means, operators are not in their best shape to face the new investing phase that the 5G goal requires.
Nevertheless, we are optimistic.
Spain seems to be one of the greatest beneficiaries of Europe’s recovery funds which, furthermore, puts a focal point in the digitalization of the affected economies. An investment of 4000 million euros is expected to extend connectivity, deploy 5G networks and boost a cybersecurity environment.
Aligned with EU’s effort, the Spanish Government has taken careful note and has started to make a move with the UNICO 5G Plan. This plan will surely function as well or better than the previous broadband extension plans. The UNICO Plan (Programa de Universalización de Infraestructuras Digitales para la Cohesión), provided with 250 million euros, is the greatest plan in history dedicated to broadband extension. It aims to reach a range of 100% of the Spanish population with ultrarapid networks and promote territorial cohesion, before 2025.
From our optimism, we are going to assume that 5G networks will be available soon for the Spanish industry digitization. With that as starting point, the next step will only be to ensure that we will benefit from these networks.
New IBM 5G Network Center of Excellence in Spain
To take advantage of 5G for the digitization of our economy, more players are needed (e.g., consulting firms such as IBM Consulting). Among all the agents which could add value in the process of accelerating the digitization of our industry, we will need to identify, define and implement use cases that truly take advantage of 5G in fields such as Industry 4.0 or in the development of the so-called ‘Connected Car’, to mention a couple of examples.
Here we are once again optimistic.
For example, Spain leads Europe in terms of the amount of 5G application pilots for business digitalization use cases (more than 150, according to Telefónica sources). It is also exciting that global consulting firms such as IBM Consulting have decided to locate one of their global 5G network centers of excellence in our country.
As part of IBM Consulting, I must emphasize on my company’s commitment to develop our technical capabilities related to next-generation networks in Spain. The center of excellence mentioned above, was created in Spain to accelerate the digitization of European Telco’s, taking advantage of IBM’s power in Cloud technologies (especially relevant in this technological generation) and its ecosystem of more than 40 partners.
The Center has been designed to help European operators successfully test and deliver 5G applications to the market. For such purpose, the Center plans to employ about 500 professionals in the upcoming years, specialized in knowledge domains like the followings:
- ‘5G Core’ design and implementation over the Cloud — 5G Core is the core of the 5G networks.
- O-RAN design and implementation over the Cloud — O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) is the new open technology enabling the implementation of the radio interface over an open Cloud.
- Open Cloud applications development.
- 5G networks radio frequency design.
Therefore, the center will focus on:
- Co-development of new use cases: IBM’s cloud platform for 5G, including its partner ecosystem, will help its Telco clients scale up and expand the delivery of the corresponding network services
- Evaluating new features emerging from the O-RAN technology, through extensive testing and piloting, in collaboration with the IBM partners ecosystem
- Offering an integral telecommunications network services portfolio to build and manage implementations of radio access networks, including consulting services, integration services, network construction, and network management services after the implementation.
- The implementation of orchestration solutions for multi-supplier network functions environments and automating their life cycle leveraging IBM’s network automation technology.
- Carrying out integration tests for multi-supplier solutions, which guarantee that the implemented solutions align with “five nines” availability levels.
IBM has already tested the center’s capacity, since 3Q 2021, Telefonica chose IBM to implement its first network platform supporting ‘5G core’ functions natively in the Cloud. Thus, Telefonica’s 5G Core will be designed to provide low latency, high bandwidth, and advanced network segmentation: capabilities that will allow Telefonica to develop new use cases in order to drive business transformation in all the industries across Spain.
What’s next?
However, we shouldn’t relax yet, as 5G has just begun. And we should not relax because, as we said before, 5G is just a “flying goal”, so we must start working on the next 6G generation and and catch up with the Asian economies, such as the Korean or Chinese, which are already shaping the mid-term future 6G landscape.
Once again, we are optimistic.
Both Europe and Spain, itself, have reacted decisively in general and also in the 6G field. Thus, the EU has already begun to establish the technological pillars of 6G, launching a first set of 6G projects, under the 5G-PPP (5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership, so that the first steps of 6G will be taken between 2023 and 2024, aiming for its commercialization in 2030.
In Spain, the Government has already approved aids for the development of advanced 5G and 6G. In addition, it has launched a call to select research and innovation projects related to 6G aligned with EU’s Joint Undertaking on Smart Networks and Services, the common 6G research and innovation strategy across Europe.
With all these positive “signals”, let’s all the agents involved (operators, consultants, companies, public administrations) translate the optimism expressed in the previous lines, into immediate action.
It’s time to execute.
Let’s show that we continue to lead, from Spain!
