EDGE COMPUTING IN ACTION: DRONES
Edge computing retains the core advantages of cloud infrastructure – elasticity and high availability – while adding localised performance gains that cloud alone cannot consistently provide.
For industries with real-time operational requirements, these characteristics are essential enablers. Telefónica identifies use cases in Industry 4.0 manufacturing environments, assisted driving systems, logistics operations, port management, retail environments, mass communications infrastructure and digital twin applications as among the areas where edge is already creating commercial value.
Telefónica’ s edge infrastructure also underpins its Drone Operations Center, based at the company’ s CNSO facility in Aravaca.
The centre supports BVLOS( Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone missions, with remote pilots controlling aircraft hundreds of kilometres away using 5G connectivity and network slicing to prioritise critical communications.
Edge nodes process video data close to the point of capture, allowing AI-powered analytics to interpret footage without the delay of routing it to a distant data centre. Combined with Drone-in-a-Box technology, which keeps aircraft deployed on site for automated take-off and landing, this reduces response times for operators.
In Cuacos de Yuste, Cáceres, Telefónica has worked with the Regional Government of Extremadura on wildfire detection, with drones launched remotely to transmit images within minutes of a hotspot being identified.
90 July 2026