Blockchain for telecom: Operational systems and business applications
1. Introduction to blockchain
It started with a Hash function... then the data blocks...then the chained/permissioned data blocks and mining … then distributed Hyperledger and smart contracts completed the picture to provide management and business applications for public, private...
When we hear 5G, we automatically tend to think of incredibly fast connections with extraordinarily low latency for our mobile broadband experience. However, the 5G experience is more than just mobile broadband. 5G is a transformation that enables a multitude of services with diverse...
FANG – Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google – is taking a bite out of traditional service providers’ business. By competing with telecommunication service providers (telcos) to create and optimize the next generation of networks – including the highly anticipated 5G – these web-scale disruptors...
To quote the famous Rolling Stones song, “You can’t always get what you want, but you can get what you need.” That’s wisdom for communications service providers (CSPs) and the large, global enterprises, who own networks that rival the size, scope and scale of...
Most often, we read of differences between the United States and Canada, but in one area, the people of both nations agree: neither country can get enough of mobile wireless services. Consumers devour more mobile wireless data each year, and mobile operators beg the...
Today, critical communications between first responders – such as police officers, paramedics and firefighters – is compromised by unreliable, ineffective, non-interoperable radio communications systems. To address this, in March 2017 AT&T was selected to build LTE-based FirstNet (First Responder Network Authority), a public safety network....
As the global network infrastructure is tasked with maintaining pace with voracious bandwidth demands that continue to rise exponentially, fiber optic wireline networks are often looked at as the silver bullet that can keep up with ever-changing end-user behavior. These thin strands of glass,...
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to adopt the long-awaited “One-Touch Make-Ready” (OTMR) regulatory framework today that will allow new entrants in the telecommunication industry to seamlessly attach new equipment to utility poles seamlessly. In the past, an onerous process known as “make-ready” has...
The right mobile broadband infrastructure could deliver big productivity gains to U.S. farmers as the internet of things lets them analyze data about crops, weather, and soil conditions more effectively. But recent policy initiatives, including a rulemaking proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC 18-42)...
With the transformation from hardware-centric networks to networked cloud platforms, the relationship between telecommunications companies (telcos) and their server(s) is inherently changing. Cloud computing introduced a software design paradigm that required a change in the ways enterprise and telco approach operations, and with it...
Networking and security IT infrastructures have evolved to a level of complexity unmanageable by operators and enterprises using a conventional approach. The ongoing reliance upon legacy network hardware and disjointed WAN architectures inhibit the operational agility required by global organizations looking to digitize business...
The population of the USA “likes” something on Facebook four million times every minute. If that seems like a staggering amount of engagement, then it might also come as a surprise that the average person in the USA touches their smartphone 2,600 times per...
Wireless consumers are demanding more bandwidth, and wireless network operators must increase the density of their networks in order to deliver it. Where one macro cell might serve everyone in a half-mile radius, networks for 4G LTE Advanced and 5G services will require small...
Using Data Science to Optimize the Wireless Experience and Minimize WLAN Costs
The explosive growth of smart mobile devices, applications, and Internet of Things (IoT) has created a big challenge for legacy wireless LAN products, which were all designed when smartphones and tablets didn’t exist...
The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) is giving hackers fresh ammunition.
As IoT devices continue to prioritize convenience over security, cybercriminals are easily gaining control of these devices and using them to build botnets to launch Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Kaspersky...
Quo vadis SDN in provider networks?
With its promise of network simplification and new revenue streams, software-defined networking has certainly captured the interest of service providers. At its core, this technology is about disaggregating physical network functions from software control, creating an ecosystem of open...
As communications service providers (CSPs) continue to transition their networks to a virtualized environment, for the next several years, they’ll be operating their legacy physical network in tandem. The resulting hybrid network environment demands higher efficiency and interoperability in the provisioning and deployment of...
According to Gartner, the Internet of Things (IoT) will grow to 26 billion interconnected devices by 2020. This means plenty of unchartered territory for a mobile carrier industry looking to keep up with this growing trend. So, what’s the best way to adapt to the industry-wide changes...
It happens to everyone — despite your best efforts, your phone falls and the screen shatters. Or the camera lens cracks. Whatever the damage, though, for safety and function, it’s time to seek out a repair. But where do you go?
Professional cell phone repairs,...
Disruption is an overused word, often describing a potentially more significant than anticipated growth cycle rather than genuine creation. However, when a dramatic shift toward new ways of doing business occurs — there is true disruption afoot. Telcos have a real opportunity to disrupt...
One of the biggest challenges that operators face today is how to cost-effectively deliver high-capacity 4G coverage in densely populated indoor areas. In locations such as city centers, stadiums, and transport hubs, high numbers of end-users connecting to a network in a single location...
The first 5G networks may be commercially ready by the end of this year. Mobile subscribers are within sniffing distance of lightning-fast 5G, a truly exciting prospect after years of build-up, speculation, discussion and…yes…some hype. 5G will open up use cases and business revenue...
It’s a reality. Regulations on internet service providers, known as net neutrality rules, began to roll back April 23, although the controversial action by the Federal Communications Commission faces court challenges and a recently passed Senate bill that would reimpose net neutrality will soon...
At the recent 5G North America and Big Communications Event in Austin, Texas, the fanfare about 5G was not surprising. However, what continues to surpass expectations is the level of eagerness for it among enterprises, the breadth of potential use cases, and the accelerated...
