Telefonica spotted an opportunity in growing industrial demand for process optimisation services which it hopes to cash in on through an investment by its domestic unit in Spanish specialist OGA.

The operator paid an undisclosed amount for a 10% stake in OGA, a so-called deep tech company specialising in using AI and operational information to optimise processes in sectors including logistics, retail, energy, health and defence.

Javier Lopez Gutierrez, director of Telefonica Espana’s Defence and Security unit, said the operator hopes to strengthen its industrial AI offer, “with a special focus on the defence sector”.

OGA employs AI, modelling and simulations to work out optimal processes for businesses providing vital services. CEO Juan Carlos Rubio hopes Telefonica’s backing will help it grow its capabilities to the benefit of Spanish and European defence and security sectors.

Telefonica explained it is adding OGA’s services to its range for businesses and public administrations, but noted it is not taking a seat on the company’s board to preserve its independence.

The operator made its investment after working with OGA for the past two years.

Business focus
Telefonica separately noted B2B is proving a lucrative sector after attracting more than 800 domestic organisations to Titan Connect, a marketplace of connectivity services it launched in January for businesses and the public sector.

The set-up pools standalone 5G, fibre and satellite connectivity with a host of systems spanning cloud and edge computing, observation services using AI and power supplies.

Telefonica pitches the service on a greater ability to keep businesses and public sector organisations connected during disruptions.

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La victoria de Lula da Silva en Brasil, inesperada tras la primera votación en la que Bolsonaro se posicionó como favorito, ha tumbado a las empresas españolas cotizadas que mayor exposición tienen en Suramérica. Así, mientras el Ibex 35 se mantiene plano, Telefónica, que tiene la relación más directa del selecto grupo de los 35 con Brasil, ha sufrido una caída que llegó a tocar el 7% en rojo hasta los 3,15 euros. En el caso del Banco Santander, la entidad financiera, con una extensa presencia en el país brasileño, llegó a perder un 4% hasta los 10,87 euros la acción. Con unos ingresos en el país hispanos de 13.200 millones de euros en 2025, la presencia de Brasil en el banco supera el 21%.

Brasil es uno de los mercados más importantes de Telefónica, único país donde la operadora se quedará tras la salida de Hispanoamérica mediante la venta de sus filiales con su plan Transform & Grow. Concentrando su negocio en España, Reino Unido, Alemania y Brasil, Telefónica reúne un 28% de los ingresos del grupo provenientes desde Brasil (9.451 millones) mediante su filial Vivo, en la que posee más de 116 millones de accesos.

Pero además, el antiguo monopolio de telecomunicaciones ha recibido hoy una rebaja de la calificación desde "neutral" a "infraponderada" por parte de JP Morgan, advirtiendo que Virgin Media O2, compañía del grupo en Reino Unido, presenta importantes desafíos de deuda. De esta manera, el banco estadounidense recortó su precio objetivo para diciembre de 2028 50 céntimos, pasando de los 3,70 a los 3,20 euros la acción.

Telefonica listed universities, hospitals, research centres and start-ups as among the likely beneficiaries of a plan to install a quantum computer at a university in Spanish capital city Madrid.

The operator is working with IQM Quantum Computers to equip the Technical University of Madrid with an all-in-one machine to provide real-world experience of the next-generation systems.

Telefonica predicted the technological benefits would be felt throughout Europe. The machine is due to be up and running by year-end and will add to two the companies already provided for use at a supercomputing centre in the northwest of the country.

Borja Ochoa, non-executive chair of Telefonica Espana and CEO of its B2B unit, said the operator wants to become “the best gateway to digital technologies”. He asserted it is the first in Spain to employ post-quantum cryptography to protect “communications between data centres”.

IQM Quantum Computers CEO and co-founder Jan Goetz highlighted anticipated benefits for industries in the Madrid area: “Quantum computing becomes truly valuable when it moves beyond remote laboratory environments”.

The installation extends Telefonica’s recent track record in the quantum computing realm, which includes establishing a centre of excellence, and employing the approach in pharmaceutical research and logistics.

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Telefonica demonstrated the military capabilities of its 5G infrastructure during an unmanned drone and vehicle exercise, one of the first moves it is making in a collaboration with Portuguese telecoms player NOS Comunicacoes.

The companies combined their 5G technologies during the Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems demonstration. Telefonica stated the work proved the ability to provide fresh services and uses of the pair’s infrastructure.

Telefonica and NOS Comunicacoes formalised their partnership during the event with the signing of a memorandum of understanding covering joint development of future connectivity set-ups, secure communications and digital services.

Defence and security uses are foremost in the companies’ focus. NOS Comunicacoes board member Joao Ricardo Moreira said a changing security and defence “landscape requires digital infrastructure capable of operating in a coordinated manner across national borders”.

As such, network interoperability is one of the key areas the companies agreed to explore.

Also on the table is work involving edge computing, AI, 5G and fresh architectures. Telefonica stated there would also be a focus on how the technologies integrate with “command-and-control systems, autonomous platforms and other emerging technologies”.

It took the companies a year to hammer out the details of their collaboration.

Telefonica Espana director of defence and security Javier Lopez Gutierrez said the work holds the potential to boost European sovereignty and thanked the Spanish and Portuguese navies for providing the “operational environment” to test and evaluate the technologies involved.

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Telefonica Tech unveiled a platform for the smart management of water meters aimed at local authorities and customers in the utility sector, highlighting benefits for billing and flagging irregularities.

The system, developed in-house, provides data and analysis from meters to identify trends, usage and remotely monitor the status of devices.

Telefonica noted it is compatible with meters from a range of manufacturers and integrates with its IoT connectivity platform Kite which, among other things, facilitates security and automation for “deployments involving thousands of geographically distributed meters”.

The company’s director of IoT Dario Cesena said: “The digitalisation of the water sector requires tools that are simple, efficient and capable of transforming data into useful information for day-to-day management”.

He added with the latest launch it was “taking another step forward in our mission to be the best gateway to digital technologies by helping water management companies and public authorities to optimise resources and move towards smarter and more sustainable water management.”

The move is the latest by the operator group targeting the utility sector with IoT technology including projects in Spain and Germany with water companies.

A study by GSMA Intelligence released in April 2026 cited smart utilities as one of the main sectors contributing to an expected a boost in enterprise IoT connections in the years to 2030, alongside smart building deployments and manufacturing.

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The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by AI Infrastructure Development, S.L. (‘ACS AIID'), Telefónica S.A. (‘Telefónica'), Banco Santander, S.A. and Entidad Pública Empresarial Sociedad Española para la Transformación Tecnológica, E.P.E. (‘SETT'), all of Spain.

The transaction relates primarily to third-party data centre colocation services in Spain and contributes to the EU's tech sovereignty strategy of strengthening and expanding sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure in Europe, as part of the EU's AI Gigafactories Initiative.

The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the companies' limited market positions resulting from the proposed transaction. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.

More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.12498.