Blockchain for 5G: Opportunities and challenges

Abdulla Chaer, Khaled Salah, Claudio Lima, Pratha Pratim Ray, Tarek Sheltami

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

99 Scopus citations

Abstract

5G is a revolutionary technology in mobile telecommunications that promises to be 20x faster than today's 4G technology. The novel characteristics of 5G can be exploited to support new business models and services that require seamless interactions among multiple parties that may include mobile operators, enterprises, telecom providers, government regulators, and infrastructure providers. Meanwhile, blockchain technology has evolved as an enabling, disruptive, and transformational technology that has started to be adopted across many industry vertical domains. Blockchain has been increasingly used to register, authenticate and validate assets and transactions, govern interactions, record data and manage the identification among multiple parties, in a trusted, decentralized, and secure manner. In this paper, we discuss and highlight how blockchain can be leveraged for 5G networks. First, an overview of blockchain capabilities as well as smart contracts, decentralized storage and trusted oracles are presented. Second, potential opportunities in which blockchain features are used to enable 5G services are outlined. Third, examples of system integration architecture and sequence flow diagrams to illustrate how blockchain along with other supporting decentralized technologies can support and facilitate such opportunities are discussed. Finally, key challenges and open research problems are identified and discussed.

Original languageBritish English
Title of host publication2019 IEEE Globecom Workshops, GC Wkshps 2019 - Proceedings
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9781728109602
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2019
Event2019 IEEE Globecom Workshops, GC Wkshps 2019 - Waikoloa, United States
Duration: 9 Dec 201913 Dec 2019

Publication series

Name2019 IEEE Globecom Workshops, GC Wkshps 2019 - Proceedings

Conference

Conference2019 IEEE Globecom Workshops, GC Wkshps 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWaikoloa
Period9/12/1913/12/19

Keywords

  • 5G Networks
  • Blockchain
  • Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)
  • Smart Contracts
  • Trusted Oracles

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