How Vodafone removes the complexities of adopting blockchain

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Vodafone is a multinational telecommunications conglomerate that owns and operates networks in 25 countries, with partner networks in a further 44 territories. Vodafone has a growing interest in blockchain technology, and, like Telefónica, is working with standards body ETSI to evaluate the use of private blockchain across various industries and governmental institutions with a view to developing future industry standards.

As part of recent efforts to define a group-wide blockchain strategy, Vodafone mapped its various activities and assessed more than 20 blockchain use cases. The graphic below shows some of the areas where CSPs might use specific features of blockchain.

Potential uses for blockchain in telecoms

An integrated strategy

Now Vodafone is focusing on identity, supply-chain management, roaming and IoT. Says Pierguido Caironi, Vodafone Group’s Operational Excellence Manager, “We want to define an integrated blockchain strategy and drive real business value while providing a better customer experience.”

In the case of identity management, the objective is to provide customers with increased control over their personal data and to simplify access to a wide range of digital services within Vodafone. In supply-chain management, the focus is on contract management, enabling all parties to record business terms and service level agreements on a shared distributed ledger.

For roaming, the aim is to leverage blockchain to enable more efficient, instantaneous and frictionless inter-operator processes. Regarding IoT, the intention is to supplement Vodafone’s IoT service platform with a Digital Asset Broker that allows customers to transact digital peer-to-peer services. The operator has either run or is running POCs in each of these areas and, although the technology is still at an early stage, the intention is to release at least two minimum viable products in the first quarter of 2020.

Vodafone is working on blockchain-based initiatives in specific regions. For example, since 2017 it has been part of the Alastria Blockchain Ecosystem, a government-backed consortium of Spanish enterprises and start ups aimed a t accelerating digital ecosystems on a collaborative blockchain platform.