Partnership to bring Gemini models and automation to Virgin Media O2 and other European units
Liberty Global has signed a five-year agreement with Google Cloud to expand the use of artificial intelligence and cloud computing across its European operations.
The deal will see Google’s Gemini AI models and associated tools deployed across Liberty’s regional units, including Virgin Media O2 in the UK, VodafoneZiggo in the Netherlands, Telenet in Belgium and Sunrise in Switzerland.
Liberty Global, which serves around 80 million fixed and mobile connections, said the partnership will support new consumer services such as AI-powered content discovery on its Horizon TV platform and automated customer support.
Mike Fries, Liberty Global’s chief executive, called the agreement “a significant milestone”, while Tara Brady, president of Google Cloud for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the aim was to “bring value to our customers and partners” by simplifying technology.
The companies plan to jointly offer additional Google hardware, including Pixel phones, smartwatches and home devices, through Liberty’s regional brands.
They also intend to improve network performance and security, explore autonomous network operations and expand cloud services for small businesses. Liberty said spare capacity at its data centres, including those in its AtlasEdge joint venture, could be made available to Google Cloud.
The agreement builds on existing collaborations between the two firms and comes as telecoms operators invest heavily in fibre and 5G infrastructure while turning to AI to reduce costs and create new revenue streams.
The partnership includes ambitions to monetise Liberty’s data assets in compliance with privacy rules and to develop new cybersecurity and cloud services tailored to enterprise clients.