Blockchain technology has the ability to disrupt the communications industry with its speed and secutiry. The technology has the ability to improve the following four areas in communications systems:
1. Secure Messaging
People worry about social media platforms keeping their private data private. Blockchain provides the solution by decentralizing data to provide a way for only intended users to access any set of data. New messaging systems have begun to capitalize on this powerful concept.
Gordon Yilin Lu, Deputy Chairman of Instanza Inc. and owner of SOMA Messenger, explains, “Blockchain technology provides a secure solution to these communication problems faced by large platforms because information is only released with private keys. That’s why SOMA is currently integrating blockchain technology to provide encrypted messaging and a crypto wallet designed to reward users for their engagement, and at the same time protect the privacy and contribution of users.”
2. Enterprise-level Communications
TOP Network is a startup that’s building the world’s first decentralized cloud communication network on the blockchain. It allows individuals and organizations to contribute their idle resources (such as a spare server in a data center) to the network, and receive rewards in return for their contribution. Resource and service providers join the network transparently via blockchain technology, which enables the company to build in wider coverage and higher-quality services at lower prices, and also offers substantially more robust security.
According to Steve Wei, CEO of TOP Network, “When it comes to data security in the communication sector, blockchain technology can raise the bar higher. On a blockchain-version Facebook, users will be more comfortable posting on their timelines as no centralized organization can control their information. Because the data decentralized in nodes across the entire network, it is virtually impossible for hackers to tamper with data or governments to censor contents.”
Through a decentralized cloud communication network, blockchain can also create seamless integrations between applications. This greatly reduces the complexity of communication.
Wei explains that blockchain can break the boundaries between different social communication apps that wouldn’t otherwise work together. He says, “TOP Network, for instance, creates a standard communication protocol to make all the decentralized apps in its ecosystem interoperable. The interoperability realized with blockchain can facilitate Internet of Things, which requires the seamless connection of various apps and devices.”
3. Secure VoIP
In addition to security and speed, communications providers and consumers also want cost effectiveness. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which is already a vastly cheaper option than customary telephony, has a genuine future as a decentralized network system.
Blockchain technology removes the centralized access point used in current VoIP solutions. It instead routes the calling party’s signal to a receiving number and replaces it with a distributed network shared by all network users. This eliminates any routing cost, since all routes are already established by the distributed ledger. This also maintains security and maximizes speed of data transfer.
4. CDNs
Blockchain is creating a helpful solution for content delivery networks (CDNs). CDNs provide a critical service for global information transfer on the internet, as well as an intrinsic cost for data transfer and a weak point of security risk. Blockchain provides a way to optimize unused bandwidth from servers worldwide. It links them together into a complex nest of servers which are able to move data seamlessly throughout the world. Because the data is all distributed and can only be accessed via private keys, the system also provides maximal security for users.
Even from a reliability perspective, blockchain is solving CDN-related issues. As blockchain decentralizes points of bandwidth, any single server crash or service interruption can be almost instantly healed by rerouting through the many thousands of other points on the network.
Beyond Communication
The technology behind Bitcoin continues to impact and improve a variety of industries. Prepare for the blockchain revolution in your industry by making sure you understand what blockchain is and what it can do. Discover blockchain applications that make sense for your industry with Introduction to Blockchain Technology, a three-course training program designed to help you make sense of this technology. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist and receive a custom quote for your organization today.
Resources
Levine, Elizabeth. (6 Mar 2019). Four Ways Blockchain Technology Will Disrupt Telecommunications. Hackernoon.
By leveraging blockchain’s distributed network, VoIP can become even more cost-effective and secure. The elimination of routing costs and the maximization of data transfer speed are appealing benefits.