What does your job at Telefónica involve?
My job at Telefónica is to optimise the performance of our mobile network to guarantee an efficient, high-quality service. Since I joined the team, I have worked on improving the performance of our mobile network, adjusting parameters and analysing data to maximise the user experience.
Thanks to this work, we contribute to improving the service in different areas, ensuring more stable and efficient connectivity for customers from different segments. This process is a constant challenge, as it not only involves technical adjustments, but also a strategic vision to adapt the network to the growing demands of the market and the technological evolution of the sector.
With the rollout of the 5G network, we are taking on new challenges to improve connectivity and adapt to growing market demands. This new technology requires more precise and efficient optimisation, ensuring that the network offers higher speed, lower latency and a better experience for users.
Being part of this process is an exciting challenge, as it involves adapting quickly to change, learning continuously and laying the foundations for the network of the future.
As a network expert, could you explain to us why connections can become saturated at mass events?
A simple way of understanding it is to imagine that the mobile network is a road, and the data we send and receive are the cars. At a crowded event such as a concert or a football match, there will be many people trying to connect to the network at the same time, which would be equivalent to a road where everyone wants to take the same exit at the same time; traffic jams form.
The same thing happens on the mobile network. There is a limited capacity per antenna, so each antenna can only process a certain amount of data. When we reach this data limit, the transmission speed is reduced and messages take time to send because they are stuck in a virtual traffic jam, waiting their turn to be transmitted.
What should be done to prepare the network in these cases and to prevent users from perceiving these saturations?
To prevent the mobile network from collapsing during a mass event and to ensure that attendees have a good quality experience, we need to focus on the network infrastructure and strengthen it.
The first thing that should be done is to increase the capacity of the antennas we have (if we have not already reached their maximum capacity), as these act as additional lanes through which our traffic will flow.
For specific events, mobile units can also be used, which are antennas that are anchored to lorries, to provide capacity in a specific area, this is very useful for emergency situations or specific events. The modernisation of networks also plays a fundamental role, as the most modern technologies, such as 5G, optimise resources in a better way.
It is also very useful to adjust the network configuration according to the environment and the circumstances to ensure that there are resources for everyone at all times. In addition, it is necessary to properly prioritise essential emergency services to prevent the network from collapsing due to the normal service of other users.
The preparation of the network for this type of event does not end there. There are network automatisms that configure and monitor the network in real time and direct traffic, detecting bottlenecks before they become a problem. The faster and more effective the network configuration, the better the service offered in each environment, which is why network automation also plays a fundamental role.
How does the development of 5G technology influence this?
5G would be like going from a normal two-lane road to a road with many lanes of ultra-fast traffic. Unlike previous mobile generations, 5G is capable of offering higher transmission speeds, connecting a greater number of devices at the same time with even less delay.
5G distributes capacity better as it is a more efficient technology than previous generations. To do this, it makes use of technologies such as Massive MIMO, which for practical purposes multiplies the capacity of the antenna, or beamforming, which focuses the signal towards devices instead of dispersing it uniformly towards an area, thus optimising coverage and managing capacity better.
5G also drastically reduces latency, which is the time it takes for the network to respond to a mobile device and vice versa. This translates into fewer delays for real-time data transmission and response times.
Thanks to these capabilities and technologies, the user experience at mass events will be better.
What tangible benefits will 5G bring to the user?
5G is like giving superpowers to our usual internet connection and it will open the door to functionalities never before possible. 5G is here to create a faster and more seamless user experience.
Just imagine being able to download films in seconds, play online video games without lag or make video calls in 4K without delays or interruptions. 5G finally opens the door to augmented reality, allowing us to try on clothes online or watch a football game in 360º as if we were in the front row, without cuts or interruptions.
Furthermore, 5G not only brings improvements in entertainment, it also allows for great advances thanks to its ultra-low latency, that is, its almost non-existent delay in data transmission. This is making critical applications a reality, such as remote surgery where the doctor can operate on the patient from the other side of the world with the same precision as if they were in the same room. It also makes it possible to operate heavy or dangerous machinery remotely, preventing workers from having to expose themselves to risks.
In the field of transport, work is already underway on autonomous vehicles that will be able to communicate with each other and with the environment in real time, thus reducing accidents and generating smoother traffic flow.
In the same way, in the industrial sector, it is enabling progress in the implementation of Industry 4.0, which is the ‘ultra-improved’ version of the industry we know, where everything will be hyperconnected and automated. These will be factories where machines connect with each other, detect faults before they occur and where production is adjusted without the need for direct human intervention.
In short, 5G has arrived to make our digital life more convenient and faster, as well as revolutionising key sectors such as health, industry and transport. We are facing a technological revolution that will change the way we work, connect and, ultimately, live.
This technology is also surrounded by a series of myths about how it affects health or nature. Could you explain why this is not the case?
There are many myths surrounding 5G, and many of them are those that link this technology with a negative impact on health; many people believe that 5G waves are dangerous and harmful to life, but there is no scientific evidence for this.
5G uses non-ionising waves that are not harmful to living beings. They are transmitted at frequencies already used in previous mobile generations, or even for TV transmission, and are similar to those used in Wi-Fi or radio, which we have been using for many years without any harmful effects on our health.
Furthermore, the power at which 5G waves are transmitted is much lower than that of other devices we commonly use, such as microwaves, and they do not pose any risk to our well-being. 5G is designed to work within safe parameters that do not pose a risk to humans.
Regarding the environment At Telefónica, we care about biodiversity. We respect biodiversity with preventive measures during construction, locating base stations outside protected areas whenever possible and with corrective measures when necessary.
98% of Telefónica’s facilities are located in habitats of low or very low biodiversity value.
The reality is that 5G towers are designed to be more efficient than previous mobile generations. In fact, the implementation of 5G can have a positive impact on sustainability, since this technology, in addition to having lower energy consumption for each bit transmitted, allows for the modernisation and optimisation of current transport or industrial systems. The environmental impact of 4G/5G has been shown to be 7 times less than 2G/3G due to more efficient and lower energy consumption during transport and data processing in the network system.
For example, connectivity and automation in sectors such as agriculture, where they will enable the control and responsible use of resources.
In short, 5G, far from being a threat, has the potential to be a key tool for improving our quality of life and living conditions.
Who is someone who works at Telefónica that you would nominate for this interview that you consider to be excellent in their work?
I would like to nominate Estefanía Arias Conde, she is a very good professional and works with all the innovations that 5G is bringing. In particular, I think it would be very interesting if she could talk about the functionalities
