and more complex data privacy regulations globally are compounding enterprise security and privacy issues. To address these challenges, it is crucial to guarantee the accuracy and validity of every digital service transaction while limiting the exchange of sensitive information. This can only be achieved with zero-knowledge technologies inside of Zero Trust architectures as utilized in new, multi-party ERP systems such as a zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) platform that utilizes the unrivaled security guarantees of public blockchains.

Project Wolf Town’s zkEVM blockchain debut is scheduled for demo in Dallas at MEF’s Global NaaS Event in October 2023 and will soon thereafter be open to any MEF member—and, eventually, to any carrier in the world.

SLAs provide excellent fodder for the industry’s public blockchain use cases

If you’re wondering why SLAs are the subject matter for this the Project Wolf Town use case, the answer comes down to the fact that these agreements are sorely in need of automated and real-time resolutions

As every telecommunication carrier knows, SLAs are put into place and then mostly ignored. The manual process is simply too cumbersome to cost-effectively and efficiently manage for both the buyer and the seller. Delays and the inability for either party to verifiably authenticate or dispute claims often leads to settlements where neither party really knows if the SLA has been upheld. Unfortunately, this often leaves end user customers with unrecouped credits and service that falls short of promises and expectations. It also undermines any impetus for providers to investigate the root causes of service issues and take action to correct these issues in areas where problems frequently occur. Instead, the providers are left spending valuable resources and time researching and settling claims without the data to substantiate the validity of those claims. The blockchain solution takes the guesswork, human error, and hassle out of the SLA process. It features built-in and agreed upon logic based on MEF international standards for SLAs including service level availability and Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) calculations. The logic considers scheduled maintenance, force majeure, and other issues that exempt the seller from issuing credits, ensuring sellers do not expend resources investigating unsubstantiated claims. At the same time, it automatically and instantly generates mutually endorsed credits at the time of a service disruption or problem per the terms of the SLA. The solution minimizes disputes, improves customer experience, and provides resolutions both buyers and sellers can confidently trust.

Blockchain is available for all

Until now, blockchain solutions have been the domain of the largest carriers and enterprises, and these companies have deployed these solutions for many purposes, including ordering and billing simplification and accuracy. The recognized benefits are significant financially and operationally and are now accessible to smaller carriers and enterprises. Many of them are joining MEF and leading the way in public blockchain for SLA compliance as well as ordering, billing, and settlement standardization. Because of this work, any carrier will have the option of joining public blockchain solutions, paying only a nominal per-transaction fee or a nominal monthly fee for contract compliance. Carriers no longer need a blockchain budget or a dedicated staff to access the benefits of blockchain, including automated SLA management, ordering, billing, and settlement anywhere in the world.

Ultimately, as more carriers come on board, blockchain will help drive global equality in telecommunications. A future where customers in Kinshasa or Buenos Aires enjoy the same telecom access and benefits as those in New York City is literally just around the corner, representing the best possible scenario for the industry’s continued growth and evolution. The carriers that adopt blockchain have the unique opportunity to set themselves apart as industry leaders in service transparency and customer experience.

The future of blockchain in telecom is right now

Private blockchain for ordering, billing, and settlement is already benefiting the largest carriers. Public blockchain for SLA management is a reality. There are no longer any lingering misconceptions that blockchain is all hype. There is no reason to expect that the evolution of the technology will end there. Companies of all sizes will need to be prepared for blockchain with modernized and rightsized systems, contracts, networks, and blockchain-ready inventories to put their organizations and customers in the best position to prosper in the next era of telecommunications.