FiberCop: with Microsoft, Dell Technologies, and 6WIND, first Edge Cloud solutions for advanced Telco services

• They will be presented as a preview at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from 2 to 5 March

FiberCop has successfully completed and implemented a field trial paving the way for new high-performance digital services distributed throughout the territory.  In collaboration with Microsoft, Dell Technologies, and 6WIND, the company has tested an Edge Cloud solution for Telco applications designed to drastically reduce latency (application response time) and suitable for deployment even in small-scale exchanges.

The trial, part of the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between FiberCop and Microsoft Italy, will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2026, which will be held in Barcelona from March 2 to 5. Over 100,000 visitors are expected at the event, which features 3,000 exhibitors.

Numerous innovative services – including advanced robotics, automated logistics, distributed artificial intelligence, and industrial control systems – require ultra-fast response times. Processing data closer to the source enables efficient management and delivers millisecond-range response times, which is essential for proper functioning in these use cases.

The trial centres on a virtualised Broadband Network Gateway (vBNG) from 6WIND, integrated directly into the FiberCop access network on an Edge Cloud node deployed in a Microsoft Azure Local environment with Dell infrastructure support. This four-way collaboration enables a part of traffic to be managed locally, thereby significantly reducing response times.

Specifically, the use of Selective Local Breakout (SLBO) technology allows only traffic requiring high performance to be routed locally, while central management remains unchanged for all other data. The result is a more efficient, flexible, localised system capable of adapting to customer requirements.

Tests have shown that the solution achieves ultra-low latency, typically between 1 and 5 milliseconds. Such performance ensures levels of resilience, reliability, security, and data management consistent with the evolving telecommunications landscape. It enables real-time control of robotic systems, distributed AI applications, advanced logistics and automation, Digital Twins, and mission-critical industrial applications where response speed is vital.

Edge Cloud systems can react in real time, enabling the creation of true “digital twins” or virtual avatars of real-world: industrial robots, sensors, drones, with the communication networks that connect them.

In addition to providing service continuity, resilience, and scalability, which allow companies to innovate while maintaining security and performance, these solutions ensure full control over the management of sensitive data, strengthening the protection of industrial sovereignty.

The trial also demonstrated that the architecture can be deployed even in small-scale exchanges. With a widespread footprint of 10,500 exchanges across Italy, all potentially suitable for hosting Telco Edge Cloud nodes, FiberCop is positioned to drive and support next-generation digital services, creating value for businesses and local communities. This further confirms the company's role as an operator capable of transforming its network into an enabling platform for the country's digitalisation.