India’s Telecom Regulator Completes Mobile Blockchain Pilot with IBM

Published at: Dec. 12, 2018

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has completed blockchain pilots with tech giant IBM to improve mobile data records. The trials were reported today, Dec. 12, by local English-language, Indian daily newspaper The Economic Times.

The TRAI, India’s telecom regulator, along with major telecom providers, have completed tests with tech firms such as IBM in order to explore blockchain’s benefits in improving mobile network systems such as mobile number portability (MNP) and the Do Not Call Registry (DNC).

Sriram Raghavan, vice president of IBM Research, claimed that the company has carried out proof-of-concepts (PoC) and pilots with “all the major telecom providers,” as well as the TRAI. However, the VP did not specify the names of telecom firms that participated in testing.

Raghavan explained that the latest telecom blockchain application will allow companies to store MNP and DNC data on a private distributed ledger with “customer consent.” According to the expert, the solution will enable the governmental agency to have better tools for monitoring the network in order to “spot malfeasance quickly.”

Mobile number portability, or MNP, is a feature that enables mobile phone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when shifting from one mobile network carrier to another. Do Not Call Registry, or DNC, represents a data record that aims to provide customers with an opportunity to limit incoming telemarketing calls.

A TRAI official has confirmed that telecom suppliers are currently working on agreements with tech firms, as they said on a meeting this Monday. According to the official, the companies will set up the launch of blockchain-based mobile record systems “in the next couple of months.”

In late May of this year, the TRAI first announced its plans to implement blockchain in order to prevent malfeasance in the telecom industry. The agency explained that the blockchain solution would provide regulators with better tracking tools for spotting telecom spammers who use unregistered 10-digit phone numbers.

In mid-November, IBM partnered with the major Spanish telecom supplier Telefónica in order to manage international mobile network call traffic.

Tags
Adoption
Blockchain
Government
India
Ibm
Mainstream
Telecom
Related Posts
Argentina’s Dep. Finance Minister: Crypto Adoption Could Reduce Demand for US Dollar
Huobi Group CEO Leon Li met with senior Argentinian finance officials this week to discuss the role of blockchain and crypto in the country’s economy, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on March 29. In a meeting in Beijing, Argentina’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Felix Martin Soto, claimed that the government should address crypto and blockchain tech as a way to promote Argentina’s financial inclusion and reduce state costs. Soto, who leads Argentina’s international financial relations, explained that half of the country’s population does not have bank accounts and operate cash transactions by converting their savings to United …
Adoption / March 29, 2019
Global Blockchain Applications in Telecoms to Generate $1.37 Billion by 2024: Report
Global blockchain applications in telecom will generate $1.37 billion in revenue by 2024, according to a press release by Research and Markets published on April 2. The report, dubbed “Global Blockchain in Telecom Market Forecast up to 2024,” Irish global market research store Research and Markets forecasts blockchain adoption in telecoms to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 77.9 percent during the forecast period. According to the report, blockchain growth in telecoms will be based on a number of key factors including rising security concerns, demand for fraud management, 5G implementation, as well as an increasing number …
Adoption / April 2, 2019
US State of Connecticut Introduces Bill to Authorize Smart Contract Use in Commerce
A committee of the Connecticut state legislature has proposed to authorize the use of smart contracts in commerce in the state, according to official documentation introduced on March 7. The Commerce Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) has introduced House Bill 7310, suggesting that blockchain-powered smart contracts may be used in commerce conducted or initiated in the United States state of Connecticut. The committee elaborated that any cryptographic signature or a record secured through distributed ledger technology (DLT) should be considered to be in an electronic form and an electronic record. The CGA Commerce Committee emphasized that no smart …
Adoption / March 8, 2019
India Approves MOU on Joint Blockchain Research with BRICS Members
The Union Cabinet of India has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the collaborative research of distributed ledger technology (DLT), local news outlet ANI reported September 12. The Union Cabinet is the supreme decision-making body in India consisting of cabinet ministers and led by the prime minister, Narendra Modi. The MOU, which is a cooperative initiative under the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism, aims to foster better understanding of DLT and define areas where the technology can be deployed to improve operational efficiency. The research will be jointly conducted by the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) and banks from …
Adoption / Sept. 12, 2018
Riyadh Municipality Partners with IBM to Develop Blockchain for Government Services
Riyadh Municipality, Saudi Arabia, has partnered with IBM to jointly develop a strategy to streamline government services and transactions on а blockchain, news outlet ITP.net reported July 11. The move was made in accordance with an authoritative decision of the Government of Saudi Arabia to work on improving the quality of municipal services for customers and integrate leading technologies into services as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program. The Saudi Vision 2030 program is an agenda for economic development and the diversification of the Saudi economy away from oil, which comprises between 30-40 of the country’s GDP. First introduced …
Adoption / July 11, 2018