An innovative and transformational business

Cellnex’s innovation is closely linked to its strategy, and this is embodied in its aim to be the company that generates value for society, customers and shareholders, through innovative, efficient, neutral and high-quality management in delivering service and contributing technological solutions. This commitment to R&D+i represents one of the main challenges for Cellnex in the current global context, characterised by its strong innovative character and being a company that is strongly linked to the digital world and the communication technologies.

In this connection, Cellnex’s innovation strategy focuses on the services of the future in each of its business lines:

Innovation in telecommunications infrastructure services focuses on searching for a new site concept fostering the intensification of infrastructure sharing at all levels (mast, antenna, radio signal, etc.) and diversifying the supply of services, guaranteeing a response to future requirements related to 5G and new network architectures.
In the Audiovisual Broadcasting Networks business, innovation focuses on maintaining competitiveness and responding to new challenges in the audiovisual sector. Specifically, Cellnex is trying to convert the linear DTT experience into an interactive experience through the Smart TV concept.
Other network services. In the security field, the priority of innovative activity is to incorporate broadband into their IT systems and study how this will be complemented with Cellnex’s tetra solutions, mainly for video-intensive applications. Furthermore, the digital market offers Cellnex the opportunity to expand its services, gaining weight in the value chain and generating a complementary business model. Specifically, Cellnex has detected a great opportunity in Smart sensoring solutions and the IoT.

Cellnex has an efficient and consolidated Innovation Model based on streamlined integration processes, as well as on standardising the development of innovative activity comprising two types of project:

Technological surveillance based on an evaluation of the current technological context to identify potential opportunities for the company.
R&D+I activities, consisting mainly of research, development, creating and launching new products and services.

This model also embodies a cross-cutting approach, where working procedures are defined in multidisciplinary teams and enhanced cooperation with the stakeholders that deal with Cellnex. Some examples of these stakeholders are: technology start-ups, universities and key players from other sectors.

It is worth pointing out that the innovation model, based on three pre-defined phases, focuses not only on developing new business and/or products, but also on developing incremental improvements to current services and products. We have seen a significant increase in customer satisfaction in this regard.

The Cellnex Innovation Model fosters a culture of innovation throughout the company that encourages everyone to continue working in line with the vision of cross-cutting integration of innovation and work with multidisciplinary teams, both inside and outside the company.

Cellnex Telecom Innovation Cycle

R&D+I projects

5G projects

5G Barcelona
Fastweb
5G-City
Resisto

5G Barcelona

In this project, Cellnex participates, jointly with the three main mobile operators in Spain, in order to develop a security service and emergency detection of the services of the TETRA network (Trans European Trunked Radio) based on the use of drones. As a pilot test, Cellnex plans to carry out demonstrations during the Mobile World Congress of the innovative services offered for fire detection and real-time image visualization. For this, Cellnex provides through its network of communications towers the necessary infrastructure to be able to process in real time the signals emitted by the drones.

5G-City

This project, funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 programme, aims to design, develop and implement a distributed Cloud, Edge and 5G-Radio platform with a neutral operator capacity to allow owners of information technology (IT) infrastructure and vertical actors to share. The idea behind this project is to deploy three pilots in the cities of Barcelona, Bristol and Lucca focusing on six very specific usage cases related to the roll-out of 5G networks in cities. Cellnex Telecom aims to deploy the network infrastructure in the Barcelona pilot to demonstrate the functionalities and capabilities of a neutral operator acting in an environment with various operators and entities acting as verticals.

Fastweb

Cellnex and Fastweb, one of Italy’s principal telecommunications operators, have signed a collaboration agreement to promote the creation of a next-generation mobile network in Italy. As a result of this agreement, Cellnex will make its sites available to Fastweb in the areas where Fastweb has begun testing 5G technology. In particular, access to the infrastructures managed by Cellnex will allow Fastweb to speed up the development of 5G networks in some areas of the cities in which the company is currently testing the new technology, such as Rome, Genoa, Bari and Matera, using dedicated coverage for the implementation of 5G usage cases in the mobility, security and culture areas.

RESISTO

This project is funded by the European Commission within the H2020 programme and aims to protect critical communications services by developing solutions for prevention, detection, mitigation and rapid response to physical attacks, cyber-and hybrid attacks, whether natural or man-made. Within this project, Cellnex leads the work package called “Improving of resilience of future 5G telco Infrastructures” focusing on security scenarios at sea and security of Telco and Broadcast infrastructures.

Telecommunications projects

FELXNET
LEAN
SolareRF

FLEXNET

This EU project, funded by the Celtic-Plus programme and coordinated by Cellnex, aims to develop SDN (software defined networks) and Network Slicing (multiple virtual networks over a single common physical network) technologies under the paradigm of the generation of wireless communications (5G). The project is oriented towards the surveillance and emergencies area will develop a series of specific applications for border control, security of port areas and location of people, among others. The project is led by Cellnex and involves 16 partners from six countries, including network operators, mobile operators, equipment manufacturers and universities. The design phase took place during 2018, with implementation expected to begin in 2019.

LEAN

A European Celtic-Plus project that aims to use 5G technologies to define an architecture that is sufficiently flexible to be deployed under ultra-low-cost requirements while simultaneously offering access to broadband internet in rural areas in emerging countries. 5G sharing mechanisms will have to face up to the new requirements for providing minimum services over long distances. Cellnex has taken on the role of Spanish coordinator in the consortium as well as playing an active role as the main player in the on-site demonstrations. The definition phase was performed during 2018 while the implementation phase is scheduled to begin in 2019.

SolareRF:

This project is funded by the Basque Government and aims, in a virtual pilot project, to design, develop and validate a prototype RF centre, either isolated or connected to the main electrical grid, which is energy efficient and in which the safety and quality of the power supply is maximised, minimizing cost and environmental impact. The project also aims to design and develop the LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) calculation tool. Cellnex is responsible for defining practical cases, analysing the technologies for storing and generating power and playing an active role in analysing the results for the validation of the RF station.

Smart Cities and the Internet of Things (IoT)

GrowSmarter
V2X-ARCH
Senix
Fira de Barcelona
Nearby Sensor

GROWSMARTER

GrowSmarter is a European project on the theme of smart cities, co-financed by the EU Horizon 2020 programme. The project aims to encourage European cities to adopt innovative measures and improve the quality of life of their citizens; boosting energy efficiency, the sustainability of urban areas and improving environmental quality. Three Lighthouse cities are taking part in the project: Barcelona, Cologne and Stockholm. Cellnex is taking part as a reference ICT partner for the various actions performed in Barcelona. One outstanding feature is Cellnex’s contribution to integrated communications infrastructures for the city of Barcelona, providing IoT connectivity solutions, deploying SmartTowers in 22@ and providing the urban data integration platform service. This platform, based on our SmartBrain product for smart cities, makes it easier to achieve an overarching view of the city, the management of various urban services and the use of information to generate value and improve decision making.

V2X-ARCH

Project in the field of connected vehicles financed by the Spanish Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda that aims to research various technologies and V2X architectures to provide added value to the connected car services by providing a vehicle-infrastructure communications solution. With V2X-ARCH, Cellnex also creates an experimental V2X infrastructure in order to evaluate various use cases related to cooperative driving, emergency warnings, traffic information and content download.

SENIX

Project COMRDI16-1-0055 of the RIS3CAT Community “UTILITIES 4.0”, co-funded by the ERDF operational program in Catalonia 2014-2020. The project aims to improve the operations of the “Utilities” with the creation of an innovative solution for the optimal monitoring of the critical infrastructures of energy services and water supply. For this, the project explores different technologies to improve the management of the assets of the distribution networks; increase the robustness, flexibility and reliability of distribution networks; improve preventive operations to avoid irregularities that may adversely affect the quality of the services offered; and optimize the response time to any anomaly. Cellnex is an ICT partner of the project, providing communication and data management technologies that help validate the solutions created.

Fira de Barcelona

Con el objetivo de seguir actualizando y mejorando los servicios y prestaciones de una de las instalaciones feriales más modernas de Europa, Fira de Barcelona ha contratado a Cellnex para desplegar una red To continue updating and improving the services and features of one of the most modern exhibition facilities in Europe, Fira de Barcelona has hired Cellnex to deploy a network of temperature and humidity sensors in the Gran Via site that can be monitored in real time to optimise the comfort conditions of exhibitors and visitors through the new Internet of Things platform. Fira will thus be able to continually monitor the air quality and temperature in each area and adapt them remotely, optimising the energy consumption linked to the air conditioning.

Nearby Sensors

Cellnex Telecom is entering the share capital of the Nearby Sensor start-up, with a contribution of € 500,000, equivalent to a 15% stake in the company. Nearby Sensor, set up in 2013 and based in Barcelona, is dedicated to rolling out the Internet of Things (IoT), Edge Computing, and the automation of IT-OT hybrid processes (industrial IoT), which will emerge with the roll-out of 5G.

Security and Emergencies

Proyectos Telecomunicaciones

Polarys
Secutil

POLARYS

Cellnex has renewed its contract with POLARYS, a project whose main objective is to increase maritime safety and efficiency in the management of navigation and emergencies, through the development of a novel VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) transceiver and its complementary systems. This system facilitates the real-time exchange of maritime safety information between vessels, and between these and the terrestrial/satellite infrastructures. The contract includes the roll-out of a completely new AIS (Automatic Identification System), which is responsible for sending data from the ship to the coastal bases. The POLARYS project is being developed by a consortium led by Retevisión (Cellnex group) with the participation of the companies Bastet, Egatel, Insitu and Scio and the Cinae and Gradiant technology centres. It lasts for four years, extendable by two more years, and receives support and funding from the CDTI (Centre for Technological and Industrial Development).

SECUTIL

Project COMRDI16-1-0060 of the RIS3CAT Community “UTILITIES 4.0”, co-funded by the ERDF operational program in Catalonia 2014-2020. The SECUTIL project focuses its activity on the resilience and protection of “Utilities”, developing a system that guarantees the integral security of Critical Services Infrastructures. For this, the project addresses different aspects such as the physical protection of infrastructures; functional safety; computer security; and the definition of resilience strategies. Cellnex, as a benchmark for Critical Communications Infrastructure, actively promotes the study of resilience models and the unified management of physical and logical security.

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