Telefónica has launched a collaboration with the Association of Science and Technology Parks (APTE) to pilot blockchain technology across a wide range of Spanish companies.
According to industry reports, the initiative will give roughly 8,000 firms located in science and technology parks throughout Spain access to Telefónica’s blockchain network.
As part of the trial, Telefónica will deploy Hyperledger-based blockchain nodes at 52 APTE sites. These nodes will connect participating companies to a secure, decentralized blockchain environment. The pilot will run for three months and encourage participating businesses to develop their own blockchain applications and experiment with issuing and using digital tokens.
María Jesús Almázor, CEO of Telefónica Spain, commented that companies housed in these parks will be able to take advantage of blockchain’s benefits without having to manage its technical complexity or divert resources to build in-house expertise.
Industry analysis suggests blockchain-enabled infrastructure sharing could significantly reduce telecom operators’ 5G costs. While 5G base stations typically demand substantially more power than 4G sites—raising operating expenses—blockchain approaches to shared infrastructure may offset capital and operational outlays. In parallel, forecasts indicate Chinese communications service providers are expected to invest heavily to achieve nationwide 5G coverage in the coming years.
In related developments earlier this year, KPMG partnered with Microsoft, Tomia and R3 to develop a blockchain-based settlements solution tailored to the telecom sector as 5G services roll out. KPMG says the platform aims to speed up and reduce the cost of settlements compared with existing processes, and to reduce reliance on third-party settlement providers. Currently, cross-border and cross-carrier settlements are often slow and complex.
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