MWC19 Compared with technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence and the pervasive rollout of 5G, blockchain is playing a smaller role at MWC Barcelona this year. Nevertheless, a few notable stories highlight blockchain’s ongoing relevance—one in particular involves two of the telecommunications industry’s largest players.
There is an element of irony in blockchain’s modest presence. In past Mobile World Congress events, blockchain struggled to make a big impression because it was not seen as inherently “mobile.” While several initiatives aim to bridge blockchain and mobile, it has rarely been the most compelling use case. Even after the event’s rebranding to MWC Barcelona, only a handful of blockchain announcements have surfaced.
That limited visibility should not be mistaken for lack of interest among operators. Almost every major telecom company now runs some kind of blockchain initiative. BT and AT&T, among others, have filed patents for telecom-focused blockchain applications. Orange, Telstra and Verizon are examples of operators that have invested in blockchain-related projects.
Now SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom can be added to that list, and their work is drawing attention. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at this year’s event to “jointly promote the blockchain business” with a focus on identity and verification use cases.
A press release from SK Telecom confirmed the collaboration, stating the partners plan to develop and eventually commercialise a digital ID card that covers identity verification, access control and a range of transactions and contracts. One especially practical scenario both companies highlighted involves travelers moving between South Korea and Germany. With a jointly developed blockchain-based identification system, customers could access services from either operator while in transit using streamlined identification and subscription procedures.
Deutsche Telekom’s research unit, T-Labs, will represent the company in the partnership. “We expect this collaboration to be a good example of how digital identities issued by different companies and organisations can be shared across different ecosystems,” said John Calian, SVP and head of T-Labs at Deutsche Telekom.
Earlier this month, Jitendra Thethi, assistant vice president of technology and innovation at Aricent, explained how blockchain could affect operators’ delivery processes and time-to-market. He argued that blockchain can improve efficiency in hand-offs between parties during product development. By digitising information transfers on a blockchain platform, distributed applications can automate processes while smart contracts govern how data is recorded and managed on the ledger.
Another area where blockchain could add value is number portability. Exprivia | Italtel announced what it bills as one of the world’s first blockchain-based solutions for number portability. The concept aims to let customers switch mobile network providers seamlessly while retaining their phone numbers.
At MWC19, Exprivia | Italtel is demonstrating its solution and inviting operators to evaluate its benefits. According to the company, the offering automates synchronization and gives operators visibility into a country-specific number portability database. The blockchain component operates in a distributed, near-real-time fashion, maintaining records through a simplified process that can reduce the time and cost associated with switching providers.
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss topics like this? Attend co-located events such as the IoT Tech Expo, Blockchain Expo, AI & Big Data Expo, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo World Series, which hold upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam.