This paper is revealing a patent pending method to distil a new generation of cryptocurrency, namely Telecoins, from existing telecom networks. In telecom in general and in the IoT a Telecoin could be used as the digital identity of a connected object. The previous generation of cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Litecoin etc) had to be mined by investing in dedicated, purpose-built PFGA/ASIC computing infrastructure. This paper proposes to reuse existing cryptopower in IPSec, TLS, 4G/5G and WPA2 based telecom networks to distil Telecoins. 

Thierry Van de Velde​ 

Consulting Technology Specialist

at Nokia, IP & Optical Networking

A blockchain addresses the problem of lack of a central trusted party safeguarding access to a central transaction ledger - a bank, insurance company, social security agency, utility or telecom operator. A blockchain removes the need for any central organization to verify your personal ID card (US : driving license) prior to allocating a bank account number, insurance contract number, social security account, electric connection number or phone number in their database (respectively).

Thierry Van de Velde​ 

Consulting Technology Specialist

at Nokia, IP & Optical Networking

In a previous article I had pleaded for the identification of the DTE (the computer, the smartphone or other connected object), not the DCE (modem) or NIC (Network Interface Card). A digital identity for the IoT, which we started calling the "telecoin" here at Nokia. Telecoins can be mined in a factory, just like bitcoins : the network operator limits the number of valid telecoins by imposing a difficulty condition (e.g. 10 leading zeroes) on the shared secret Diffie-Hellman value (cf. European Patent application 16290189) rather than on the end node identity itself (IPSec IDi payload) or on its IPv6 address (e.g. the Cryptographically Generated IPv6 Address).

Thierry Van de Velde​ 

Consulting Technology Specialist

at Nokia, IP & Optical Networking

In anticipation of the GSM Association’s upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC17) I wanted to formulate a telecom engineer's response to what could become a very stereotypical discourse on the Internet of Things (IoT) within the GSMA, 3GPP, Mobile Network Operators, MVNOs and Network Vendors.

Thierry Van de Velde​ 

Consulting Technology Specialist

at Nokia, IP & Optical Networking

I'm sure most of you remember HD-Ready TV sets?  How about a 5G-Ready connected flowerpot? 

Yes, over the next four years 5G will emerge as a superior Radio Access Technology.  Though we are just at the beginning of the standardization process (namely the 3GPP R14 SMARTER study item) consensus is growing that through virtualization and network slicing 5G will enable 1) evolved Mobile Broadband (eMBB), 2) massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) and 3) mission-critical ultra-reliable MTC (uRTC).

Thierry Van de Velde​ 

Consulting Technology Specialist

at Nokia, IP & Optical Networking

Following last week’s blog entry expressing my critical opinion on Huawei’s Application-Dependent Networking [1] I was invited to provide my view on the core network architecture for 5G.
First of all a Next-Generation Mobile Core (NGMC) should not be designed to support only the 5G Radio Access Network (5G RAN).  Korea Telecom’s 5G strategy [2] is for example clearly indicating that KT’s Trusted Wi-Fi Access Points (AP) should be interconnected to the same convergent core network. 

Thierry Van de Velde​ 

Consulting Technology Specialist

at Nokia, IP & Optical Networking

In the period 2014-2019 [1] the number of mobile-connected devices will grow from 7 Bn to 11 Bn, hence at a CAGR of 9%. However M2M/IOT  devices, which formed 6% of the 7 Bn devices in 2014, will constitute 28% of the 11 Bn devices in 2019... a market with much lower ARPU per connected device.  

Thierry Van de Velde​ 

Consulting Technology Specialist

at Nokia, IP & Optical Networking