At Mobile World Congress 2026, five of Europe’s largest telecom operators announced a major breakthrough for the region’s digital infrastructure with the first live demonstration of the European Edge Continuum – a federated edge cloud spanning multiple countries and networks.
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, TIM, and Vodafone have federated their edge environments, enabling seamless deployment of applications across their combined European footprint. The milestone marks the first operational federation in lab and pre-production environments, paving the way for industrialization and commercial rollout.
First Pan-European Federated Edge Goes Live
The European Edge Continuum enables enterprises and developers to deploy applications automatically across edge nodes from multiple telecom operators using a single-entry point. This federated approach extends coverage, improves workload distribution, and enhances service continuity across borders.
The initiative is supported by platform components developed under the IPCEI-CIS Project, funded by the European Union’s Next Generation EU program. The integration of these components strengthens interoperability, security, and data sovereignty – key pillars of Europe’s digital strategy.
Extended Footprint and Intelligent Workload Distribution
By combining their edge infrastructures, the five operators significantly expand their collective footprint across Europe. Customers gain access to computing resources from multiple providers through a unified interface, allowing:
Dynamic workload allocation across federated nodes
Intelligent application distribution for optimal performance
Improved cost efficiency
Seamless service continuity as users move between networks
This model supports mobility use cases, latency-sensitive applications, industrial automation, and cross-border digital services.
Boosting Europe’s Digital Sovereignty
The federated edge initiative directly supports Europe’s ambition for digital sovereignty by offering secure, interoperable, and locally controlled infrastructure. The model ensures tight network integration while maintaining data sovereignty requirements critical for enterprises and public sector organizations.
Claire Catherine Chauvin, Director Strategy Architecture and Standardisation at Orange, emphasized that the federation demonstrates Europe’s ability to build sovereign digital solutions and create a secure, open, and scalable infrastructure for business customers.
Cayetano Carbajo, Core, Transport and Ecosystem Director at CTIO, speaking on behalf of Telefonica, described the European Edge Continuum as a decisive leap forward for Europe’s digital sovereignty, delivering seamless access, enhanced performance, and faster time-to-market for enterprises.
Andrea Calvi, Head of Technology Evolution, LAP and Devices at TIM, called the initiative a cornerstone of Europe’s digital transformation and highlighted the transition toward industrialization and ecosystem expansion.
Christine Knackfuß-Nikolic, Chief Sovereign Officer at T-Systems, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, stated that the federation proves Europe is actively building a secure and trusted digital ecosystem made in Europe for Europe.
Marco Zangani, Director of Network Strategy and Architecture at Vodafone, added that the collaboration creates a single-entry point into world-class federated infrastructure while enhancing competitiveness, resilience, and safety through cross-border connectivity.
Open Ecosystem and Future Expansion
The European Edge Continuum is designed as an open ecosystem. Work is already underway to integrate additional European technology leaders, application developers, and open-source communities.
The next phase will focus on:
Opening the ecosystem to new partners
Industrialization of the federated platform
Commercial rollout across Europe
By inviting broader participation from the European technology community, the five operators aim to unlock new business models, accelerate service onboarding, and strengthen Europe’s position in edge computing and cloud innovation.
The live demonstration at Mobile World Congress 2026 signals that Europe’s telecom industry is moving beyond discussion to execution – delivering a federated, secure, and scalable edge cloud infrastructure ready to power the next wave of digital transformation across the continent.
SHAFANA FAZAL
