The metaverse is the hot topic. All companies want to taste it, experiment, try what it tastes like, find out what it can do for their sectors and their customers. But for such a thing to be possible, an infrastructure is necessary that supports the enormous capacity of data that these new services need to move. That is why the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), a non-profit project led by the telecommunications giants, has decided to include it in its FYUZ event along with other relevant issues in the connectivity of the future, such as OpenRAN or open networks. To learn more about the event, we interviewed Juan Carlos García, Vice President of Technology, Innovation and Ecosystems at Telefónica.
It will be held at IFEMA from October 25 to 27 and is set to become the great international summit of the metaverse and the ICT sector. It will bring together the world leaders in technology and some of the most renowned chefs in Spain, specifically Dabiz Muñoz, Jordi Cruz and Quique Dacosta, because gastronomy will be the common thread of the event.
ADSLZone: FYUZ, a new concept of event that mixes technology and gastronomy, why this fusion?
Juan Carlos García: For the first time, the place chosen by TIP to celebrate its annual summit is Spain and we believe that there is no greater reference to Spanish culture than our gastronomy. In any corner of the world, our country is known for its wide and varied gastronomy, also marked by a high degree of quality, as evidenced by being one of the countries with the most Michelin stars in the world or having the best chef for second consecutive year, Dabiz Muñoz, who heads the ranking according to The Best Chef Awards 2022 and who, by the way, will accompany us at the event.
Spain is also a benchmark in connectivity and has highly advanced digital infrastructures. The European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which classifies Member States according to their level of digitization, placed our country third in the ranking of digital infrastructure a few days ago, only by behind Denmark and the Netherlands, which means that it has one of the most advanced in Europe. Among other aspects, it has the largest coverage and penetration of fiber optics to the home in Europe, exceeding 80% penetration in broadband lines in 2022 and with a single plan to switch off the copper network by 2024.
For this reason, we wanted to unite these two elements. Also, the world of telecommunications and cooking have many similarities. In both sectors, the aim is to constantly improve the customer or diner experience, combining the right ingredients so that the result is groundbreaking and innovative. Innovation is not a forced element, but it is the reason for being in both worlds.
Juan Carlos García, Vice President of Technology, Innovation and Ecosystems of Telefónica
Q: What will attendees find at FYUZ?
A: FYUZ is a new style of event, but with the traditional items that everyone wants to see on the menu. We have top-level representatives from most of the most relevant companies that make up the telecommunications industry. We have three of the best chefs in the world. But, above all, FYUZ is a unique opportunity for anyone who wants to learn about the latest advances in the world of telecommunications.
FYUZ attendees will be able to learn about the latest developments regarding open mobile and fixed access networks or the metaverse. Specifically, FYUZ will take place over three days: The first one, Open RAN Summit, which will focus on radio access connectivity and where the ecosystem will discuss the latest advances in the industry in the adoption of Open RAN solutions. The second, Telecom Infra Project Summit, where senior representatives of operators, providers, system integrators, regulators and analysts will discuss the latest developments on open and disaggregated solutions and the business models that support them. And finally, the third, the Metaverse Connectivity Summit, where the leaders and tastemakers who are accelerating connectivity for the next transformation of the internet will unveil the latest applications in the world of the metaverse.
Q: The telecommunications industry is in the midst of an unprecedented transformation, connectivity is part of most of our days. Issues such as fiber deployments or 5G occupy the front pages, but we have seen that the metaverse is an increasingly relevant topic, what does the metaverse mean for the telecommunications industry in general? And for Telefónica in particular?
A: The metaverse is an opportunity for all members of this industry, operators as well as content providers and even equipment suppliers. The existing telecommunications networks, based on technologies such as 5G or FTTH, are the basis of the digital platform that will offer the necessary capabilities for the development of this new paradigm. Telefónica, like the rest of the companies, sees the metaverse as a new paradigm, which, if well used, will result in experiences never before seen by the users of our networks and of high value for their lives and businesses. At FYUZ, we’ll talk about these new use cases, how connectivity and the end-customer experience are totally intertwined, and much more.
Q: Open networks and solutions such as OpenRAN or Open Transport are main topics on the FYUZ agenda, why are the industry and Telefónica committed to these technologies?
A: The way of defining, building and operating telecommunications networks is changing radically. OpenRAN and Open Transport are two great examples of how the combination of interoperable elements results in a more flexible architecture, which we can take advantage of to improve the way we serve our customers and operate our network, and speed up the integration of innovative solutions. The wave of evolution that we see now with the metaverse has been preceded by one in which we have been able to introduce open and disaggregated technologies. This technological change now puts us in an ideal position to implement new services much more easily.
You can check the full agenda of FYUZ and register here:
