The digitization of industry in Spain has gone from being a matter of having technology to becoming a problem of How to integrate and scale solutions in real factoriesCompanies find themselves with plants full of legacy systems, critical processes, and a historical separation between the worlds of information technology (IT) and operations (OT), which generates technical, cybersecurity, and management frictions.
In this context, the incorporation of Telefónica Spain to the Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem This represents a significant step: for the first time, a major industrial platform natively incorporates advanced connectivity services 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) Designed specifically for the production environment. It's not just an addition to the catalog, but an attempt to solve the critical connectivity bottleneck in Industry 4.0.
An ecosystem to simplify industrial digital transformation
Siemens Xcelerator is defined as a A digital and collaborative environment that brings together technology solutions, services, and partners Focused on the industrial sector, with a special emphasis on infrastructure and logistics, it brings together around 300 partners worldwide and is organized as a major showcase of modular solutions designed to simplify the digital transformation of factories, processing plants, and logistics centers.
Within this framework, the alliance with Telefónica responds to the demand of many companies to have a real convergence between IT and OT systemswithout having to manage multiple suppliers and isolated projects. The operator becomes the first and only partner in the ecosystem capable of offering integrated 5G connectivity and advanced IoT with Siemens hardware, software and services.
The Siemens Xcelerator marketplace functions as a kind of one-stop shop for industrial digitizationCustomers can search, compare, and combine certified solutions, reducing the complexity of selection and negotiation. With Telefónica's entry, Spanish companies accessing this platform will be able to deploy 5G SA (Stand Alone) networks designed to connect natively with the automation and control systems of the Xcelerator ecosystem itself.
This integration is supported by the strategic agreement signed by Telefónica and Siemens in January 2025focused on accelerating the modernization of Spain's industrial fabric. After an initial year of joint work, the collaboration is now taking a qualitative leap by incorporating connectivity as a structural component of the platform, and not as an ancillary service.
For user companies, this means that connectivity ceases to be a generic element and becomes a a tool directly linked to automation, the advanced monitoring and real-time data analysis, with the possibility of orchestrating everything from a common environment.
5G SA and IoT as the backbone of the connected factory
Telefónica's proposal within Siemens Xcelerator is based on the 5G Stand Alone network that the operator is deploying in Spainwhich already covers approximately 95% of the territory. This infrastructure combines nodes in the 3.500 MHz band, designed to offer very high speeds and low latency, with nodes in the 700 MHz band designed to reinforce coverage indoors, in industrial parks, and in rural areas.
In the industrial sector, more than top speed, what makes the difference is Signal stability, reduced latency, and the ability to prioritize critical trafficTherefore, the initial offering within Xcelerator focuses on secure 5G private networks that allow connecting everything from very simple IoT sensors to mobile robots and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that move around the plant without human intervention.
These private networks facilitate the convergence of communications that have traditionally followed separate paths: voice, corporate data, industrial monitoring systems, IoT devices, and connected machinery. The idea is that all these elements can sharing a common infrastructure with security and segmentation levels adapted to the requirements of each usefrom a machine vision camera to a process control system.
Among the use cases that they want to promote are applications such as the quality control using real-time machine visionThe implementation of advanced predictive maintenance, the precise location of assets within the factory, and the coordination of AGV fleets in warehouses and production lines are key applications. For these, the capabilities of the 3.500 MHz band are crucial, as it can offer speeds of around 1.600 Mbps and very low response times.
At the same time, the 700 MHz band provides deeper indoor coverage, which is essential in industrial buildings with complex structures, thick walls, or locations far from large urban centersThis type of deployment allows connectivity to cease being a limiting factor in environments where, until now, traditional mobile networks or industrial WiFi did not always reach with the necessary reliability.
Scalability and Geprom's role as an industrial integrator
One of the main barriers for many companies, especially industrial SMEs, is the fear of having to undertake very high investments in infrastructure that may not be fully utilizedThe joint proposal from Siemens and Telefónica attempts to address this concern with a modular approach, in which projects can be scaled up gradually and grown according to actual demand.
In this scheme, Geprom, a company integrated into Telefónica Tech, acts as industrial integration arm of 5G solutionsIts function is to implement the technology in the environment of each plant, connecting the network with the PLCs, control systems, production management software and the rest of the components of the Siemens ecosystem.
The involvement of a specialized integrator aims to ensure that the solutions are scalable, interoperable and sustainable over timeThis allows customers to start with a limited pilot project and expand it to other lines, factories, or countries without having to completely redesign the system. This "pay-as-you-grow" approach aligns with the reality of many companies that want to advance their digitalization efforts without committing to large-scale deployments from the outset.
Furthermore, the coordinated integration of connectivity, automation, and digital platforms reduces the risk of the factory becoming a patchwork of disconnected projects. The goal is for the 5G network to become a common fabric on which additional layers of artificial intelligence, digital twins, or advanced analytics can be deployed in the futurewithout having to rethink the basic infrastructure.
From Siemens' perspective, This way of working reinforces its commitment to collaborative ecosystems in which different partners contribute specific pieces of the value chain. For Telefónica, this means consolidating its position as Provider of smart connectivity solutions and digital services for the industrybeyond the traditional role of a telecommunications operator.
IT vs. OT: challenges of standardization, security, and culture
Despite the progress this integration represents, the industrial sector continues to face a constant tension between the need to global standards and the reality of highly heterogeneous plantswith machinery from different suppliers, different technological generations, and very specific operating requirements.
Siemens Xcelerator promotes interoperability and open innovation, but deploying a 5G network in a factory with equipment spanning decades and using diverse protocols remains a challenge. considerable engineering challengeEach project requires analyzing how the new networks coexist with control systems that, in many cases, were designed to function isolated from the outside.
In addition to this technical component, there is an organizational factor: IT and OT departments have different priorities and culturesWhile IT teams typically seek flexibility, speed, and openness to the cloud, operations areas focus on stability, availability, and protecting production lines. The convergence that Industry 4.0 aims for involves aligning visions that, historically, have viewed the world through very different lenses.
Cybersecurity has been placed among the Main concerns of industrial managers when talking about connecting plants to the cloudThe promise of a 5G network capable of natively communicating with Siemens' automated systems and platforms, with enhanced access controls and monitoring, attempts to offer a pragmatic response to that fear, without hindering the adoption of new technologies.
Joint strategy and roadmap in Spain and Europe
The renewal of the collaboration between Telefónica Spain and Siemens is part of an increasingly strong presence of partner ecosystems that, while open, function as relatively closed and coordinated environmentsLarge technology platforms choose a set of strategic partners to offer comprehensive solutions, reducing fragmentation and uncertainty for the end customer.
In the Spanish case, the agreement is primarily focused on to promote the digitization of the industrial fabricwith a particular focus on sectors such as automotive, logistics, capital goods manufacturing, and infrastructure management. The combination of advanced connectivity, automation, and digital services is seen as a key driver for improving the competitiveness of these plants compared to other European markets.
The strategy is not limited to the national level. Both Siemens and Telefónica envision that the models designed and tested in Spain could replicate or adapt to other European marketsLeveraging the experience gained from real-world deployments, this exportable approach transforms projects into benchmark laboratories where network architectures, security configurations, and integration schemes are tested.
The announcement of Telefónica's integration into Siemens Xcelerator also comes at a time when European funds for the digital and green transition continue to generate opportunities for modernize facilities, introduce automation and reduce energy consumptionThe possibility of articulating joint proposals within a recognized platform can facilitate companies' access to these types of initiatives.
For Telefónica, the move also reinforces its positioning as a company that offers Smart connectivity services, monitoring, data analysis, and turnkey IoT solutionsIn partnership with established industrial players, this allows them to approach the factory not only as a network provider, but also as a technology partner with the ability to participate in the complete design of the solution.
National Industry Congress in Bilbao: first test of interest
The first technical details and use cases derived from this integration will be presented at the 8th edition of the National Industry CongressThe event, scheduled for February 4th and 5th in Bilbao, has established itself in recent years as one of the main meeting points for the Spanish industrial ecosystem, bringing together manufacturers, government agencies, integrators, and technology providers.
At that meeting, Telefónica España and Siemens plan to Explain how Siemens Xcelerator's private 5G networks, IoT solutions, and digital platforms are practically integrated.as well as showcasing concrete examples of applications in production environments. It is expected to serve as a barometer to measure the extent to which companies are willing to migrate critical processes to integrated 5G infrastructures.
One of the questions is whether the combination of one-stop shop, proven solutions and trusted partners This will be enough for mid-sized companies to make a decisive leap towards more automated and connected factory models. The other possibility is that the weight of legacy environments, the complexity of integrations, and investment caution will continue to dictate a more gradual pace of adoption.
The Bilbao event will also serve to assess how the sector perceives the role of advanced connectivity as lever to deploy emerging technologies such as the digital twin or artificial intelligence applied to maintenance and productionWithout a network capable of reliably and securely moving data, these solutions tend to remain pilot projects or proof-of-concept tests.
In parallel, the joint presence of Telefónica and Siemens at an event of this kind reinforces the message that Industrial digitization requires strong alliances between operators, technology manufacturers, and integration specialists.And not just isolated initiatives. For many companies, seeing real projects and hearing experiences from other players in the sector can carry more weight than any theoretical discourse.
With Telefónica España's entry into Siemens Xcelerator, 5G and IoT connectivity takes center stage in the understanding of the connected factory, hinting at a scenario in which the network becomes the basic infrastructure supporting advanced automation, data analysis, and systems integration in Spanish and European industrial plants.
