• The Spanish operator is seeking to build a bigger enterprise services business using 5G
• It is to deploy the Paragon edge and cloud orchestration platform developed by Singtel
• The system will enable MásMóvil to offer network slicing, APIs and as-a-service applications to its enterprise and government customers

In an effort to gain an edge in the enterprise services sector in Spain, MásMóvil has teamed up with Singtel to deploy Paragon, the Singapore-based telco’s all-in-one platform for 5G multi-access edge computing (MEC) and cloud orchestration.

Singtel unveiled Paragon in February 2022: It enables enterprises to tap into a telco’s 5G network to activate network slices on demand, deploy applications on edge compute resources and access third-party applications on an as-a-service basis, as well as acting as a single orchestration platform for edge and cloud services. 

MásMóvil, which is set to merge with Orange Spain (if regulatory approval from the European Commission is forthcoming), claims the deployment will position it as the “most advanced Spanish operator in 5G solutions” as it adds to its existing enterprise offer of “cloud services, digital transformation processes for business growth, AI and personalised support”. 

According to the Spanish operator, the Paragon platform will enable Spanish business users and public bodies, such as municipalities and government departments, to securely deploy applications in edge servers and public clouds, for instance those operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, which “significantly streamlines the innovation and digitalisation process and accelerates time to market”, as well as helping to keep costs low. In addition, “unique 5G features, such as slicing, which typically requires weeks to deploy and configure, can now be executed almost instantly, autonomously and as many times as needed. Compared to current edge computing solutions that are 4G and public cloud enabled, Paragon offers significant improvements in latency and speed thanks to MásMóvil’s 5G network,” the operator claimed. “This enables better and faster decision-making, critical for use cases such as robotics, drones and autonomous vehicles, rich video experiences, as well as powerful use cases based on real-time edge AI applications,” it added. 

MásMóvil will work with Singtel to set up a Paragon applications marketplace, which functions like an app store, and then work with enterprise customers to develop and integrate the apps they need to use onto the platform via a standardised API. The Spanish operator “is committed, through its partner programme, to help [enterprises] develop the necessary solutions in different industries, validating them from the commercial structure and market entry support on MásMóvil’s 5G platform to the integration of applications in the marketplace,” it noted in its announcement about the deployment.  

MásMóvil is planning an initial test of the platform in partnership with one of its subsidiaries, Galician cable operator R Cable, and the city council of Vilagarcía de Arousa, a municipality in the province of Pontevedra in Galicia. The trial will involve the use of the local 5G network, edge and cloud resources to record and stream sporting events live and be able to manage the streams remotely. 

“At Grupo MásMóvil we continue to strive to be unique in offering our clients and partners a network ecosystem and cloud services with unlimited capacity, minimum latency and controlled security perimeter,” stated CTO Miguel Santos. “With this alliance with Singtel, we have opted to offer a great opportunity to business clients and partners through an ecosystem that is easier to use, more digital, and more dynamic and open, taking advantage of successful experiences in the most mature 5G markets,” he added.

Singtel, naturally, is very happy to have an international telco customer for its platform. Bill Chang, CEO of Digital InfraCo, the Singtel unit formed last year that comprises its regional datacentre business and subsea cable and satellite carrier businesses, as well as Paragon, noted: “Businesses around the world, from Singapore to Spain, are racing to harness the power of 5G and edge computing to accelerate digital transformation. Our Paragon platform enables them to adopt and manage these revolutionary technologies quickly and efficiently, and we are delighted to partner with MásMóvil to share this crucial advantage with their customers. We are committed to working with MásMóvil and other leading operators around the world to extend Paragon’s reach to more diverse markets, so that more businesses can benefit from it.” 

MásMóvil faces plenty of strong competition to win the hearts and budgets of enterprises in Spain, though: The national incumbent, Telefónica, has a very strong focus on the business customer sector via its Telefónica Tech division, while Vodafone, which is also involved in an M&A process in Spain, is making significant progress with its enterprise services offering via its Vodafone Business division – see In 2024, Vodafone means business.

The company doesn’t break out its enterprise sales in its financial reports, but overall it grew its services revenues by 3% year on year in the first nine months of 2023 to €2.05bn and at the end of September last year had a total of 12.4 million mobile and 3.4 million fixed broadband customers. 

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV