Blockchain at the edge: the nexus of capturing new value in 5G

Abstract

5G propels mobile technology into the exclusive group of general purpose technologies that have marked the evolution of our history and triggered transformative changes in society. Edge computing is instrumental in helping 5G fulfil its promise and meet its expectations and requirements. This article discusses the value shifts occurred in the telecom value chain and shows how blockchain can aid value extraction in 5G, highlighting a number of services and applications of 5G networks that benefit from distributed ledger technology. Furthermore, the paper details a couple of applications enabled by the marriage of 5G with distributed ledger technology: autonomous unmanned (vehicular or aerial) systems and connected supply chains. The combination of 5G and edge computing permits to unlock new business value in telecom networks; in the same way that edge computing is the nexus of creating new value in 5G, blockchain is the fulcrum of capturing that new value.

This work was supported by the European Research Council under the H2020 Framework Programme/ERC grant agreement 694974, and by MINECO’s Projects RTI2018-102112 and RTI2018-101040.