Telefonica and Alava partner to launch 5G, IoT and AI smart industry platform

Spanish telco Telefonica Tech partnered with Engineering company Grupo Alava to create a predictive maintenance solution based on IoT, 5G, and machine learning installations.  

As such, Telefónica said that “LTE (4G) and 5G componentry will be available to enterprises as part of the predictive analytics offer on both private and public network infrastructure, with edge-based private LTE/5G networks built using “several tier-one and tier-two vendors,” in accordance with its multi-vendor strategy.  

Telefónica uses a multi-vendor strategy and offers interoperability [between] of all of them, a spokesperson said, given that there is not one vendor to support our portfolio.  

In addition, the company based in Spain issued a statement saying: “Data will be collected by sensors, connected through Telefónica Tech’s LTE and 5G mobile networks, stored and processed in industrial edge computing technology, and [made] accessible through a [Grupo Álava IoT] platform – from which operators will [receive insights] based on AI [analytics] capabilities to better manage the health of process machinery. [This will extend] its useful life and [optimize] maintenance costs.”  

Andrés Escribano, director of new business and Industry 4.0 at Telefónica Tech, said: “The agreement will allow us to extend and massify our predictive maintenance capabilities and help all companies in the industrial sector to avoid long downtime and reduce costs thanks to 5G, IoT, edge computing and big data technologies.”  

He added: “Digital transformation plays a key role in the development of a more sustainable and resilient industrial activity.”  

Also, the manufacturing sector or the widely adopting smart factory-type platforms like these increase productivity and profit. However, they are considered the thing that will provide a boom to the sector in places like the UK.  

Yago Sanchez, director of alliances at Grupo Álava, said: “The combination of 5G and predictive [analytics]… allows… a giant step forward in the digitization of industrial processes. [With] this agreement, the market has a unique solution that improves the productivity and profitability of the business. This union offers guarantees… our current and future customers [will be able to] improve their competitiveness in the international market, thanks to the adoption of process digitalization, predictive maintenance, [and] digital twins.”  

Last but not least, as the pandemic uncovered weaknesses in global supply chains, there has been more talk about building more things locally, as ’onshoring’ – all of which is connected with the upgrades the sector believes AI, 5G IoT, and edge computing can provide its factories.