Blockchain Hype & Realities Dean Bubley, Disruptive Analysis Blockchain is now widely discussed, it feels like most start-ups have Blockchain in their plans, most Enterprises are thinking about how Blockchain impacts their strategy. But let’s remind ourselves of what it is, its strengths, its weaknesses, and where its working and not working today. Then we’ll take a deeper dive into what it means to Programmable Telecoms, the telco stuff, but especially the non-traditional communication service providers.

1. Blockchain & Distributed Ledgers
for Telecoms & IoT: Hype or Here?
Prepared for TADSummit 2018
Lisbon, November 2018
dean.bubley@disruptive-analysis.com @disruptivedean

2. Dean Bubley & Disruptive Analysis
 Tech/telecom analyst & strategic consulting since 1991
 Futurism, Forecasting, Anti-Forecasting, Policy
 Cross-silo, contrarian, independent
 Often provocative. Sometimes obscure. Occasionally wrong.
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Network Tech, Policy
& Business Models
Communications
Apps & Services
Telecom-Futurism
Industry Analyst
Papers & Reports

3. Tech innovations can take markets in 2 opposing directions
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Centralise,
Optimise
Monetise
Federate
Regulate
Democratise
Hybridise
Commoditise
Decentralise
Arbitrage
5G, Wi-Fi, FTTx, MVNx
Voice calls & messages
Devices & OSs
Music & video content
Social networking
Network transport
Banking / payments
Identity & security
Cloud & cPaaS
IoT & verticals

4. What is a blockchain?
4
Transaction 1
Transaction 2
Transaction 3
….
Transaction N
Encrypted
Hash
000010101010
100101001010
100011010110
Previous
block of
transactions
Next block of
transactions
Transaction A
Transaction B
Transaction C
….
Transaction Z
“Consensus” calculation
performed & validated
with “proof”
etc
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In essence, a decentralised, self-verifying database
This changes nature of trust in data & transactions

5. More than just “The Blockchain”
5
Original Public
BitCoin
Blockchain:
“The
Blockchain”
Other Public
Blockchains &
DLTs e.g.
Ethereum
Ripple
IOTA
Consortium or
Permissioned
Blockchain
Private,
Enterprise
Blockchain
@DISRUPTIVEDEAN
Blockchains can act as platforms for dApps & Smart Contracts
Ethereum, Hyperledger, Corda etc – or 1000s of others chains

6. Top-level DLT use-case segmentation for telecoms/telcos
 Internal processes
 Blockchain used for internal efficiencies within CSPs / consortia
 Streamlined interactions with suppliers, regulators or partners/developers
 Network reinvention
 Meshes, capacity-trading, ISPaaS, roaming, eSIM etc
 New customer-facing services built on blockchain
 Services developed for customers and delivered and controlled by CSPs
 Third–party developers & platforms (esp. in IoT, data mgmt & connectivity)
 Curating, or collaborating in, business ecosystems
 Broader multi-party federations and industrial clusters
 CSP may be a peer and trusted partner – but not always the lead
 Notably includes IoT, finance, manufacturing & many other verticals
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7. Blockchain / telecom intersections & use-cases?
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Data Integrity
Micropayments
Disintermediation
Escrow
Registries
Smart Contracts
Coins & Tokens
Identity Mgmt
Network,
NFV/SDN
Roaming
& w/sale
Billing /
OSS
Calls &
data
Content
& Money
Cloud &
XaaS
Vendors &
partners
IoT &
verticals
Supply chain

8. What’s the point of tokens & tokenisation?
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Quick &
Easy Fund-
Raising
Value
Storage &
Transmiss-
ion
Token
utility &
pricing
Smart
Contracts &
Trading
Ideology &
politics
Miners can help run the platform/service, and earn some level of
access to it as an incentive (imagine a marshall at an event, or
shareholder discounts for an airline’s fares)

9. Settlements: one of the most “real” uses so far…
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10. Potential to create completely new radio protocols / meshes
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11. Telco example of BaaS – KPN (builds on top of IT BaaS)
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12. NFV management has a lot of promise
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13. Regulatory & many other use-cases emerging
 Regulatory
 India: TRAI pushing blockchain approach for SMS/call spam consent
 UK: Ofcom researching blockchain-based MNP approach
 Various: spectrum-sharing concepts converging with DLTs
 License management
 Network-operation or user data retention for law-enforcement
 Other example use-cases
 Managing intermittent connectivity, eg spot-markets
 Micropayments for content
 Marketplaces for IoT or personal data
 Data integrity-management as a service
 ID-verification as a service (KYC & similar)
 Secure credentials for non-SIM / low-power devices
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14. Blockchain may enable market-based spectrum mgmt
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Numerous potential use-cases, but still largely in early research phase

15. Blockchain roles may be multi-layered, eg for IoT uses
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Device Connectivity (cell / WiFi / roaming etc)
Device Security
Device Power Generation / Supply
Device Data Integrity
Device Usage Data
Same IoT
Blockchain, or
different for each
layer?
(Or non-BC
entirely for some?)
Device HW, SW & associated services
Device fit with a Broader Supply Chain
Device Identity, Authenticity & Ownership
Device (micro)payments

16. What telecom / network assets are being tokenised?
 Mobile data quota
 National
 Roaming
 Fixed/WiFi Internet access
 SD-WAN & long-distance transport capacity
 SMS quota
 Call minutes
 Mobile money
 IoT or personal data
 Content
 VNF “credits”, eg for SD-WAN functions
 VPN capability
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17. Public
Blockchains
End
users
Public/tokenised or private/permissioned blockchains?
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Telco
General
Vendors
Blockchain
Vendors/SPs
W/sale
SPs
Partner
SPs
Ptnrs &
Enter-
prises
Ptnrs &
Enter-
prises
Other
SPs
Other
vendors
Media,
devlprs
& apps
Regulatory,
tax, legal
Adjacencies
Direct chain
Service enablement / supply chain
Internal use-cases, eg between
telcos & suppliers
Multi-SP & consortium arrangements & contracts
Application enablement, eg vertical IoT data mgmt

18. Conclusions
 Many potential applications for blockchains / DLTs in networks/comms
 … many, many possible niches (or broader horizontals)
 Both private & public opportunities
 But very early stages, mostly still research
 Initial wins around data integrity & settlements
 Many concerns on cryptocurrency / token approaches
 Small-to-medium chance of disruption on a 5yr view
 Medium-to-large chance of disruption in 10yrs
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