A Novel Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) Platformfor Local 5G Operators
- Post by: Nisita Weerasinghe, Tharaka Hewa, Madhusanka Liyanage, Salil Kanhere and Mika Ylianttila
- February 1, 2023
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5G is a promising technology that has the potential
to support verticals and applications such as Industrial Internet
of Things IoT (IIoT), smart cities, autonomous vehicles, remote
surgeries, virtual and augmented realities, and so on. These
verticals have a diverse set of network connectivity requirements,
and it is challenging to deliver customized services for each
by using a common 5G infrastructure. Thus, the operation of
Local 5G operator (L5GO) networks or private 5G networks
are a viable option to tackle this challenge. A L5GO network is
a localized small cell network which can offer tailored service
delivery. The adaptation of network softwarization in 5G allows
vertical owners to deploy and operate L5GO networks. However,
the deployment of L5GOs raises various issues related to man-
agement of subscribers, roaming users, spectrum, security,and
also the infrastructure. This paper proposes a blockchain-based
platform to address these issues. The paper introduces a set of
blockchain-based modularized functions such as service rating
systems, bidding techniques, and selection functions, which can
be used to deploy different services for L5GOs. Exploitation
of blockchain technology ensures availability, non-reliance on
trusted third parties, secure transfer payments, and stands to
gain many more advantages. The performance and the viability
of the proposed platform are analyzed by using simulations and
a prototype implementation.
