Telefónica, a story of constant transformation

Technology, innovation, and progress, that in recent years have extended people’s life expectancy, have also had the exact opposite effect on companies’ lifespan. More than half of the companies on the prestigious 'Fortune 500' list in the year 2000 do not longer exist today. The surviving companies share a common denominator: their ability to adapt to change.

That is why when, in just three years, Telefónica reaches its centenary, the celebration will be twofold. Our company was founded in 1924 and has made it this far because it has been able to evolve.

For decades we deployed copper infrastructure to bring voice into Spanish homes. These are our roots and the basis of our subsequent growth. In the 1990s we took the bold decision to venture outside of our national borders and became a large multinational. We were able to foresee the importance of broadband and mobile telephony, the convergence of telecommunications and entertainment, and the significance of digital services. We stayed ahead of the pack thanks to our vision and execution.

We fostered fibre and today we are doing the same with 5G whilst also launching digital native companies in services such as cybersecurity, cloud, IoT and Big Data. When it reaches its 100-year milestone, Telefónica will be able to boast of being a technology company with ultra-fast next-generation networks, digitized systems, and automated real-time operations, all entirely customer-centric. Furthermore, it will continue being a company guided by values, a company that focuses on the progress of the societies where it is present.

When it reaches that centennial milestone, it will also be able to affirm with satisfaction that, when  2020 and 2021changed our way of living, relating to one another, studying and working, our state-of-the-art networks were up to the task, in line with our purpose of “making our world more human by connecting lives”.

We woud also say with  pride that, during such a complicated period, with our teams working remotely, we were able to close historic transactions such as the merger with Virgin Media in the UK, the purchase of Oi's mobile assets in Brazil, together with TIM and Claro, and the sale of Telxius’ towers. Likewise, we continue to innovate, creating fibre vehicles in Germany, Brazil, and Chile.

This demanding environment has pushed us to give the very best of ourselves because our priority has been and continues to be people. In fact, none of the above would have been possible without the hard work and commitment of our entire team. Because if anything defines us, it is this sense of belonging and pride, and showing that we live up to our legacy.

Telefónica has always been there when needed. For nearly 100 years the company has been connecting people's lives. From the time of the cable girls, who needed nearly two hours to establish a connection, we have moved to the era of the millisecond, 5G, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. As the years go by, our metabolism has been boosted by digitization which has enabled us to evolve, rejuvenate and strengthen our business model to adapt to this digital age in which electrical signals have become light and radio waves. It is not only voice or data that travel through our networks; it is people's lives.

The company's innate commitment to stay ahead has led us to update our brand to a visual identity that assumes the past and projects the future. It is a more flexible, relevant and differential image. An image that reflects where we come from, since we are the backbone of society through telecommunications, and where we are going, because we are an increasingly technological company that wants to play a leading role in the world to come. It also reflects our DNA of innovation and continuous transformation and our soul, which is the talent of our professionals who drive our present and our future.

Telefónica has been a pioneer and that progress spirit remains unchanged. Now is the time to move forward, to continue to age and mature, and to build the future together, to create moments that leave a mark on our history and build the legacy for generations to come.