Blockchain and digital technologies in the telecommunications industry

Abstract

This article examines how fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies, specifically blockchain and digital twin technologies, can be utilized to address the energy supply challenge and enhance the management of distributed telecom infrastructure assets in a research context. The emphasis is on how blockchain and digital twin technologies can be applied to improve asset maintenance activities. Following a systematic review of the existing literature and the development of a model, the research methodology involves the use of structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews—a mixed-methods approach based on operational data on the asset's functionality. The findings from the asset data suggest that the adoption of blockchain and digital twin technologies substantially enhances the effective functionality of assets installed in telecoms-based stations. However, the intricacy of integrating these 4IR technologies with conventional assets, as well as evidence from questionnaires and interviews, further suggests that they provide a foundation for the digitalization of maintenance methods, resulting in substantial improvements in operational and maintenance effectiveness and efficiency. The blockchain and digital twin technologies accelerate a predictive maintenance method by proactively identifying unexpected asset failures, thereby lowering mean time to repair and operating expenditures.