Telefónica Spain standardises networks on Red Hat OpenShift

Telefónica Spain has standardised on Red Hat OpenShift as a common platform for both IT workloads and cloud-native network functions, bringing its virtualised and container-based systems onto a shared foundation.

As part of a broader modernisation programme, the operator is also integrating Red Hat OpenStack Services on OpenShift to update its virtualised infrastructure. This lets virtual machines and cloud-native applications run side by side under a single operational model.

The move makes OpenShift the default platform for future deployments at Telefónica Spain, with new workloads migrating under a phased adoption strategy.

Unified operations

Telefónica Spain runs a mix of network and IT environments as it shifts from traditional telecoms infrastructure to software-based networks. OpenShift now serves as the common layer across environments that have typically been managed with different tools and processes.

Red Hat OpenShift is a Kubernetes-based container platform for deploying and running applications and services across on-premise systems and public cloud environments.

Red Hat OpenStack Services on OpenShift brings OpenStack functions into the same environment. OpenStack is widely used for virtualised infrastructure in telecoms, particularly where operators run network workloads in virtual machines rather than containers.

Telefónica Spain said the combined model streamlines management across environments while preserving the ability to run a mix of virtual machines and cloud-native applications-still a common requirement during network modernisation.

It also highlighted portability across environments, noting that the hybrid architecture supports scaling workloads across Azure, AWS and Google Cloud.

Deployment metrics

A large share of services supporting residential customer-management processes is already in production on OpenShift at Telefónica Spain.

The operator reported a sharp reduction in the time required to scale capacity, from weeks to seconds.

It also said application deployment times fell from eight hours to as little as 90 minutes after adopting OpenShift.

Telefónica Spain linked the shorter deployment cycle to a lower risk of incidents and service degradation during releases, and cited reliability gains for end users through more consistent performance and faster updates.

Staff and processes

Using a single platform can reduce the number of specialised tools and skills required across teams. Telefónica Spain said the shift lowers costs and reduces the need for specialised training for staff across network and IT operations.

It also said a unified platform reduces silos between teams, improving collaboration and speeding up problem-solving and internal development.

Operational functions such as updates, logging and security monitoring are being centralised through OpenShift. Telefónica Spain said this improves consistency across its estate and reduces the overhead of maintaining separate processes.

Telecoms operators have increasingly adopted container platforms as they roll out 5G networks and push compute closer to customers through edge deployments. These shifts add complexity, as operators balance existing virtualised environments with newer cloud-native designs.

Red Hat described Telefónica Spains move as part of a broader telecoms trend towards common platforms that support both virtual machines and containerised workloads. It also reflects the gradual pace of migration, with virtualised and cloud-native network functions often coexisting for extended periods.

Rich Stephens, Vice President, EMEA Telecommunications, Red Hat, said the approach supports unified operations across IT and network workloads.

Telefnica is driving competitive advantage by unifying virtualized and cloud-native apps for both its IT and network operations with Red Hat's hybrid cloud technologies. The flexible, common platform provided by Red Hat OpenShift has helped Telefnica improve time-to-market, operational efficiency and application reliability, better preparing the service provider to deliver a new generation of compelling 5G and edge services across Spain, said Rich Stephens, Vice President, EMEA Telecommunications, Red Hat.

Telefónica Spain described the work as part of a long-running collaboration with Red Hat and said it has fed operational requirements into open source development.

At Telefnica, we are committed to enterprise open source as rocket fuel for the transformation of our systems. Through several years of strategic collaboration with Red Hat we have been able to contribute our real world requirements into community development and see them transform into features and functions in Red Hat OpenShift. The operational maturity and expertise we have built with Red Hat positions us to move beyond simple digitalization, said Marina Huertas Garca, Head of IT Systems and Transformation, Telefónica Spain.

Telefónica Spain said it will continue rolling out new workloads on OpenShift as its standard platform while modernising its virtualised infrastructure through OpenStack services delivered within the same operational environment.