Blockchain will improve the usage of 5G technology: China Telecom

China Telecom chairman, Jiang Wei, said blockchain will be very vital for the enhancement of blockchain technology.

He was stating this in an interview published by Cebnet, a Chinese news portal. According to him, blockchain could have a major role to play in the improvement of the new 5G mobile network.

Blockchain could play a major role in 5G network operation

In 2019, China Telecom estimated that the 5G services in China could reach about 170 million subscribers before the end of this year.

Wei pointed out that blockchain could play a heavy role in several areas. He said the technology could be very vital in areas like secure interaction, trusted management, and efficient partnership among multiple participants of the devices and network.

Blockchain could make 5G more convenient and seamless

According to Wei, social capital will be effectively introduced in the 5G landscape if blockchain technology was utilized in the network. He thinks it will enable the industry to crowdsource the 5G infrastructure.

Furthermore, Wei reiterated that the adoption of blockchain technology within the network will promote 5G usage tracking and resource sharing. As China has been a strong advocate of blockchain technology, the country is setting several measures to make the technology relevant and intertwined in several sectors, including telecommunications.

As a result, China Telecom is trying to improve international roaming services by experimenting with blockchain technology. Last year, China Telecom released a published report on its plans to unveil 5G enabled blockchain phones.

Major issues with blockchain / 5G implementation

Although there are obvious benefits of implementing blockchain technology within the 5G framework, there are also challenges.

Wei said before any successful implementation of the blockchain/5G integration, there are a series of problems that should be confronted. Of those challenges, “the legality and security aspects of smart contracts are a major concern,” He said.

Furthermore, smart contracts can’t be upgraded or repaired, based on a design perspective. As a result, there should be formulated standardized solutions on 5G contracts for updates and bug fixes, Wei reiterated.

Again, interoperability and scalability are two obstacles that will pose a challenge to the integration of both technologies. But with good experimentation and the right preparation, the technologies can still be integrated effectively. And when both technologies are properly integrated, it will lead to improved communications services throughout the world, he concluded.