Five Major European Telecom Operators Launch First Federated Edge Cloud to Strengthen Digital Sovereignty at MWC 2026

Deutsche Telekom (DT), Orange, Telefónica, TIM, and Vodafone announce the successful live demonstration of the European Edge Continuum – the first federated edge cloud connecting the networks of Europe’s five largest operators. © Deutsche Telekom

(IN BRIEF) Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, TIM, and Vodafone have jointly demonstrated the European Edge Continuum at Mobile World Congress 2026, establishing the first federated pan-European edge cloud and marking a significant step toward digital sovereignty. Developed within the IPCEI-CIS and 8ra initiatives, the platform enables secure, single-entry deployment of applications across multiple operators’ infrastructures, delivering broader reach, intelligent workload distribution, and built-in interoperability. Now active in lab and pre-production stages, the project is moving toward industrialization and commercial rollout while expanding to include new ecosystem partners. Deutsche Telekom is also pursuing participation in IPCEI-AI to extend these capabilities into sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure.

(PRESS RELEASE) BONN, 23-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — At Mobile World Congress 2026, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, TIM, and Vodafone unveiled a major advancement in Europe’s digital landscape with the first successful live demonstration of the European Edge Continuum, a federated edge cloud interlinking the infrastructures of the continent’s five largest telecommunications operators. The achievement represents a key milestone within the 8ra initiative and the Important Project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI-CIS).

The initiative transforms what was, only a year ago, a shared strategic concept into an operational reality. By federating their respective edge environments, the operators have enabled seamless deployment of applications across a combined European footprint. Supported by technology components developed under IPCEI-CIS and funded through the European Union’s Next Generation EU program, the federation is currently functioning in laboratory and pre-production environments and is moving toward industrial-scale implementation.

The European Edge Continuum provides enterprises and developers with the ability to deploy applications securely and automatically across multiple operators’ nodes via a single-entry interface. This structure delivers a significantly expanded geographic reach, supports dynamic workload placement to optimize performance and cost, and ensures continuity of services as users or devices move between networks. Built-in interoperability and adherence to European data sovereignty principles form a foundation aligned with the region’s regulatory and technological values.

The platform is expected to enable a wide spectrum of applications, including autonomous mobility solutions such as logistics automation, connected vehicles, and smart parking, as well as industrial and urban use cases ranging from AI-powered manufacturing quality control to intelligent traffic systems and public safety technologies.

Designed as an open and collaborative ecosystem, the European Edge Continuum is already preparing to integrate additional European technology providers, developers, and open-source communities. The participating operators are inviting new partners to contribute to shaping a scalable, trusted infrastructure for Europe’s digital future.

Looking ahead, the project will transition into a phase focused on industrialization, commercial deployment, and ecosystem expansion. This trajectory aligns with Europe’s broader ambition to build resilient, interoperable digital capabilities under the IPCEI framework. Building on the momentum of IPCEI-CIS and 8ra, Deutsche Telekom has also submitted a proposal to participate in the forthcoming IPCEI on Artificial Intelligence (IPCEI-AI), aiming to further strengthen sovereign AI development supported by secure industrial cloud environments.

Demonstrations at MWC 2026 illustrate how organizations can deploy services across federated edge infrastructures using a unified access point, while operators gain opportunities to introduce new services, streamline onboarding, accelerate time to market, and explore collaborative business models.

Demonstration at MWC

At MWC 2026, the demonstration will showcase how organizations can seamlessly deploy applications across one or more federated edge infrastructures in Europe using a single access point. For Operators, Edge Federation enables new service offerings and collaboration within an open ecosystem, accelerating onboarding processes and time-to-market while unlocking new business models. March 2, 2026 16:00 – 16:40 CET

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Media Contact:

Michaela Kühn
Spokesperson and Telekom Blogger
media@telekom.de
+49 228 181 49494

SOURCE: Deutsche Telekom