Telefónica consolidates the IoT market in Spain with more than 2.6 million lines and deployments throughout the country

• The operator recorded a 12.4% year-on-year increase at the end of the first quarter of 2020.

• Its IoT coverage encompasses both rural and urban areas and reaches 100% in regions such as Madrid and Valencia

• As a distinctive element, the two possible IoT technologies (NB-IoT and LTE-M) can be found in Telefónica’s portfolio, as well as the eSIM cards compatible with the new IoT connectivities.

• Its IoT investment in projects to combat climate change and reduce its environmental impact totalled 1.6M euros in 2019.

• Through TheThinx lab, where companies can test their IoT solutions, Telefónica is creating an ecosystem of specialist IoT partners.

Telefónica is consolidating the IoT market in Spain with an increase in the number of active lines and the deployment of this technology throughout the country. At the end of the first quarter of 2020 it had more than 2.6 million IoT (Internet of Things) lines, a figure that represents a year-on-year increase of 12.4%.

In parallel with the above growth, Movistar continues to expand its IoT coverage and meet its customers’ needs, reaching both urban and rural areas throughout the country. In fact, some areas such as Madrid and Valencia have 100% coverage, given the high demand for IoT solutions there. To meet specific and urgent needs of its clients, Telefónica can quickly deploy the technology required for their projects.

Technologically speaking, the operator offers NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT) and LTE-M (Long-Term Evolution for Machines) solutions, as they are complementary and they are both suitable for specific use cases. NB-IoT is the most appropriate for mass IoT use (sensors, telemetry, etc.) and LTE-M is preferable for uses that require mobility.

Telefónica also has eSIM cards that are compatible with the new IoT connectivities as a differentiating element specially aimed at telemetry, industry and Smart Cities use cases, which require long-term deployments potentially entailing a change of operator.

Over the last year Telefónica has worked on four lines of IoT projects (smart mobility, industry, energy and retail), all of which are having a positive environmental impact. Thus, for example, the total savings achieved with smart energy among IoT customers totalled 1GWh last year.

Similarly, its IoT investment in projects to combat climate change and reduce its environmental impact totalled 1.6M euros in 2019.

Some of Telefónica’s most significant IoT projects over the last year have included the connectivity of 4,000 electric motorbikes from Muving, one of the main motosharing companies in Spain, that are spread around 10 European and American cities, and the joint agreement involving the HUMANoX start-up and Club Atlético Osasuna for the use of HX50 shin guards made of carbon fibre, with smart sensors that provide thousands of data on the players’ health and performance during training and in official matches. Telefónica also provides IoT communications to Nestlé Professional coffee solutions allowing to monitor different parameters, optimising its customers’ experience and increasing the efficiency of the business.  

Finally, Telefónica has become a driving force behind an ecosystem of specialist IoT partners through its TheThinx laboratory, at which companies can test any Internet of Things project with integrated Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain solutions.

Together with its cybersecurity and cloud services, the IoT/Big Data services have been incorporated into the new Telefónica Tech, a unit with which Telefónica is seeking to boost the growth of these digital services, which are in such high demand among companies and with which it aims to generate 2,000 million euros of additional income in 2022.