A new Cisco patent describes how blockchain can be used to secure 5G networks. Last year, the company filed a patent application for the platform in question. The blockchain platform could be directly integrated into wireless networks.
The blockchain platform is intended to manage sessions between users of devices and virtual networks. In this way, network slices should be supported. This is a particular architecture that can run multiple independent virtualised networks in the same physical infrastructure.
“This service-oriented architecture supports network slices, which employ an isolated set of programmable resources that can implement individual network functions and/or application services through software programs within a respective network slice, without interfering with other functions and services on coexisting network slices,” Cisco states in the filing.
Blockchain popular as a method
Cisco is one of the IT vendors investigating the integration of blockchain technologies and Internet of Things (IoT). Companies such as Bosch, BNY Mellon, Chronicled and Filament have used Hyperledger, Ethereum and Quorum to develop or upgrade their products and services.
Coindesk reports that in addition to Cisco, companies such as Bosch, BNY Mellon, Chronicled and Filament are also investigating the use of blockchain to secure the Internet of Things. In September, Cisco itself entered into a partnership with SingularityNet, an artificial intelligence (AI) company. The aim of the collaboration was to decentralise AI systems. This was to prevent that all the capacity of AI systems to “learn” with blockchain is localised at one location. Also, this company has previously done research to use blockchain to find a way to make group chats safer in networks.
40 minutes ago
