Pan-European federated edge infrastructure demonstration at MWC 2026

Applications requiring low latency and location awareness increasingly depend on compute resources close to users across different countries. In this context, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, TIM and Vodafone will demonstrate a federated European Edge Continuum spanning their combined networks at Mobile World Congress 2026 (March 2–5).

One entry point across multiple operators
The demonstration shows how applications can be deployed automatically across edge nodes belonging to different telecom operators through a single access interface. The federation connects separate edge environments into a shared infrastructure, allowing developers and enterprises to run workloads without selecting a specific national network in advance.

The system operates in laboratory and pre-production environments and integrates platform components developed within the European IPCEI-CIS project funded by the European Union’s Next Generation EU program.

This architecture extends geographic coverage because workloads can be placed on infrastructure from several operators, forming a distributed computing layer aligned with edge computing and digital infrastructure strategies.

Workload placement based on mobility and performance
By linking edge sites, the platform enables dynamic allocation of applications depending on latency, cost or user movement between networks. Services remain active while devices cross national or operator boundaries, maintaining session continuity.

The shared infrastructure also allows tighter coupling between network connectivity and compute resources. For developers, this means applications such as connected mobility services, industrial monitoring or real-time media processing can operate consistently across countries without separate deployments.

Interoperability and data sovereignty mechanisms
The federated architecture emphasizes interoperability between operators and controlled data handling within the European infrastructure. The design allows access to multiple providers while preserving operational separation and local governance rules, supporting requirements associated with digital sovereignty initiatives.

The open ecosystem model is intended to incorporate additional technology vendors, developers and open-source communities. The next phase focuses on industrialization and commercial rollout, along with the onboarding of new services and partners.

Implications for distributed services
For telecom operators, federation expands service coverage beyond national networks and enables shared service portfolios. For enterprises, a single deployment process can reach multiple European markets, shortening rollout time for applications that depend on low-latency compute.

By connecting operator edge platforms into a common environment, the project illustrates how a multi-provider edge computing layer can function as a continent-scale infrastructure supporting distributed applications across Europe.

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