Telefónica Digital Innovation (TID) is the innovation arm of Telefónica, one of the world’s largest telecommunications service providers. Based in Spain, TID is dedicated to shaping the future of digital connectivity through advanced research, innovation, and technology development. It leads the company’s efforts in exploring emerging paradigms such as 5G and 6G, artificial intelligence, network automation, and next-generation network architectures, ensuring Telefónica remains at the forefront of telecommunications innovation in Europe and beyond.
TID’s role in UNITY-6G primarily focuses on the transport network domain, with a special emphasis on network slicing and digital twin integration. TID brings deep expertise in the design and deployment of flexible and programmable transport networks, contributing to the development of scalable and sustainable slicing mechanisms across end-to-end infrastructures. The organization will lead efforts related to modelling transport network behaviour within digital twins and applying these models to improve automation, performance optimization, and sustainability in 6G networks. This unique capability reinforces UNITY-6G’s ambition to deliver intelligent and adaptive networks.
Participation in UNITY-6G is essential for TID as it aligns with Telefónica’s strategic vision for the evolution of future networks. By contributing to this flagship European initiative, TID strengthens its leadership in network transformation and gains access to cutting-edge research on 6G technologies. The project also provides a collaborative environment for co-creating innovative solutions with top-tier partners, enabling Telefónica to validate and influence the development of standards, while ensuring its transport network infrastructure is prepared for future demands.
Luis M. Contreras who took the role of UNITY-6G Technical Manager and Javier Velázquez.
The UNITY-6G project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101192650. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
This work has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).