Back to the future

The new Telefónica (whose origin is the strategic plan launched in 2019) reaches cruising speed, after having played a key role in the COVID-19 pandemic and having closed some of the most relevant operations in its history. Spring 2021 is an optimal time to give another twist to the logomark, untouched since 2010 and almost untouched since 1998. In a project as strategic as it was secret, which was internally called Back to the future, Telefónica designed and prepared its new brand looking towards the future, but with a clear inspiration in what had been its image for decades, a large T made up of spheres. On this occasion, in addition, each of these dials is endowed with one of the pillars of the brand, the five Ts: Telecommunications, Technology, Talent, Transcendence and Transformation. On the day of the AGM, the company surprised the world with its new logo and embarked on its fastest brand replacement project to date, across all physical and digital media worldwide.

A busy year for corporate operations

2021 is an intense year in terms of corporate movements to finish shaping the Telefónica we want to project into the future. While the merger between O2 and Virgin Media in the UK is being completed to create the leading operator in that market, the company is continuing its strategy of creating fibre companies in the countries and is teaming up with Canadian company CDPQ to launch FiBrasil and develop a wholesale fixed access network over fibre in the Brazilian market. Still on the infrastructure front, an agreement is reached with KKR to invest in the new InfraCo to deploy and operate the fibre network in Chile. KKR was already a key partner for Telefónica and an experienced investor in wholesale fibre business platforms in other countries, complementing Telefónica's expertise. Also that year, the sale of the Telxius towers to American Towers Corporation was completed for 7.7 billion, a sale at record multiples that included the towers in Spain and Germany as well as in Latin America. In Hispam, two divestment operations were undertaken that year. On the one hand, the operation in El Salvador is sold to Generan International Telecom, while Liberty Latin America takes over the business of Telefónica de Costa Rica.

Innovation and talent go hand in hand at Distrito Telefónica

October brings another of the year's big announcements. In the framework of EnlightED, the great educational event organised every autumn by Fundación Telefónica, José María Álvarez-Pallete surprised with the creation of the largest Innovation and Talent Hub in Europe. Based in the Telefónica District, the hub is created to train 100,000 people every year in digital skills and to bring together all the company's initiatives aimed at digital education, entrepreneurship and innovation. With an initial investment of 100 million euros, the hub is a clear commitment to the future and to people. "The future is present and is played out in the field of innovation and talent, because that is where people's lives are transformed. And Telefónica wants to redouble its commitment to the future and to people with the Global Innovation and Talent Hub," said José María Álvarez-Pallete on the day of the presentation, in the presence of King Felipe VI.

Princess Perales

Fundación Telefónica ambassador since 2015 and best Spanish Paralympic athlete in history, Teresa Perales, receives the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in 2021. An award that fills us with shared emotions and enormous pride, because Teresa represents the spirit that the Foundation and the whole of Telefónica want to promote in society. Her 27 medals, and above all, her story of overcoming obstacles, her courage and her smile are an inspiration for those of us who form part of this company, proud of her well-deserved Princess Award.