Eurobites: Telefónica taps IBM for 'quantum-safe' techEurobites: Telefónica taps IBM for 'quantum-safe' tech

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Elisa boosted by international services in Q4; KPN delivers on FY2024 outlook; Openreaches further into Aberdeenshire.

Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe

January 31, 2025

2 Min Read
Telefonica office building
(Source: Kristoffer Tripplaar/Alamy Stock Photo)

Telefónica's digital business unit, Telefónica Tech, has signed a collaboration agreement with IBM to develop security technology robust enough to withstand the potential threat posed by future quantum computers powerful enough to crack the current cryptography. IBM's security infrastructure, including a LinuxONE system featuring quantum-safe end-to-end encryption, has already been deployed at Telefónica's headquarters in Madrid. The Spanish giant is by no means the only telco trying to itself in shape for a scary quantum future. (See European telcos prepare for quantum hackers.)

International services give Elisa's Q4 a lift

Finland's Elisa, one of Europe's more go-ahead operators, saw its fourth-quarter revenue increase 2.9% year-over-year, to €580 million (US$602 million), while comparable EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) was up 3.3%, to €198 million ($205 million). The rise in revenue was attributed mainly to a growth in international services. During the quarter, Elisa and Nokia became the first companies in Europe to trial 100Gbit/s speeds in a production fiber network as well as opening the first 5G cloud radio access network. (See Nokia and Elisa conduct live trial of 100G PON in Finland, Eurobites: Nokia and Elisa claim European 5G cloud RAN first and Finland's Elisa bucks trend of telco decline.)

KPN increases earnings, plans network investment

Full-year EBITDAal (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, after leases) at Dutch operator KPN climbed 3.6%, to €2.5 billion ($2.6 billion), on revenue that was up 3.4%, to €5.6 billion ($5.8 billion), delivering on the company's own outlook. Over the next three years KPN plans to invest more than €3 billion ($3.1 billion) in its networks, though from 2027 onwards it foresees a step-down in its capex, dropping to below €1.0 billion ($1.03 billion). (See Eurobites: KPN bags challenger Youfone for €200M.)

Openreach extends in Aberdeenshire

The fiber tentacles of Openreach, BT's network access arm, have reached into more parts of Scotland's Aberdeenshire region, with the towns of Huntly, Macduff and Banff all in the process of being brought into the full-fiber fold. Around 53,000 properties across Aberdeenshire now have access to the Openreach network, while Scotland as a whole has more than 1.4 million properties passed.

Three years ago today…

Eurobites reported on how Spotify, the Sweden-based audio streaming service, was in damage-limitation mode following the high-profile flounce-outs of grizzled rocker Neil Young and iconic folkie Joni Mitchell, who had both asked for their music to be withdrawn from Spotify's platform, Young doing so in protest at Spotify's hosting of Joe Rogan's rent-a-rant podcast, much beloved of antivaxxers in the US and beyond. They obviously settled their differences because both musicians' work is now up for grabs on the platform.

Read more about:

Europe

About the Author

Paul Rainford

Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading

Paul is based on the Isle of Wight, a rocky outcrop off the English coast that is home only to a colony of technology journalists and several thousand puffins.

He has worked as a writer and copy editor since the age of William Caxton, covering the design industry, D-list celebs, tourism and much, much more.

During the noughties Paul took time out from his page proofs and marker pens to run a small hotel with his other half in the wilds of Exmoor. There he developed a range of skills including carrying cooked breakfasts, lying to unwanted guests and stopping leaks with old towels.

Now back, slightly befuddled, in the world of online journalism, Paul is thoroughly engaged with the modern world, regularly firing up his VHS video recorder and accidentally sending text messages to strangers using a chipped Nokia feature phone.

Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes it's completely free.

You May Also Like