Industry Leaders Unite to Deliver Proof of Concept for Speedy Commercial Interactions & Settlements Using Blockchain Technologies

Service providers CBCcom, PCCW Global, Sparkle and Tata Communications, together with technology vendors Clear Blockchain Technologies and Cataworx, have joined forces to create a Proof of Concept (PoC) designed to show how Telcos can introduce next-generation services such as IoT, VR and cloud in record speed, thanks to innovations in blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and intent-based customer interfaces. The PoC will be demonstrated between the 29th and 31st of October 2018 at the MEF18 global networking event (MEF18event.com) in Los Angeles, California.

New technologies, such as IoT, VR, autonomous cars and cloud, are driving user demand for higher capacity, agile bandwidth, lower latency and a guaranteed quality of service. While certain carriers and mobile operators have already developed capabilities for delivering on-demand services on their own network and infrastructure, inter-carrier operations are currently still managed manually as the BSS and OSS systems are not geared to offer automation of inter-carrier operations. On the operational side, the reasons include lack of a common language, use of disparate information and data models and misalignment of processes. On the commercial side, reasons include limited support of usage-based performance metrics and billing and settlement involving multi-party, multi-dimensional products. The PoC demonstrates a solution to both challenges.

The Bandwidth-on-Demand PoC will demonstrate the power and viability of a synchronized and decentralized global supply chain for inter-carrier bandwidth-on-demand services. As a result, carriers can automatically discover, quote, deliver and settle multi-product, multi-party services, eliminating reliance on a centralized intermediating party.

Cataworx will demonstrate LSO Sonata inter-carrier quoting solutions and LSO Cantata intent interfaces, enabling customers to rapidly discover and order services that span across multiple carrier networks. Clear will demonstrate LSO Sonata blockchain-based billing and settlement enabling carriers to bill for guaranteed network capacity on-demand, thus unlocking new revenue streams based on existing network infrastructure. Service providers CBCcom, PCCW Global, Sparkle and Tata Communications represent a multi-carrier interconnected network environment.

The PoC uses MEF LSO Cantata and Sonata inter-carrier interfaces for automation of bandwidth-on-demand product discovery, service eligibility verification, quote, order and blockchain-based settlement of services that are delivered across automated, virtualized and interconnected networks in accordance with the MEF LSO framework. In the PoC, customers state their intent via the bot-based Cataworx Community Portal. Off-net quotes are then exchanged across a MEF LSO Sonata Interface Reference Point as product offerings are discovered across any number of carriers. Orders are encoded in smart contracts and services are automatically settled, including provisions for SLA, using private and shared blockchain interactions.

The commercial solution, provided by Clear, involves automated multiparty inter-carrier blockchain-based invoicing, payments, dispute resolution, SLA based remedies and settling. The process eliminates manual, labor intensive and time-consuming elements of settlement, invoicing and clearing, accelerates quoting and invoicing and enables synchronized inter-carrier usage-based billing. With the elimination of a centralized orchestrator, neighboring carriers can transact directly, flexibly and automatically without revealing any sensitive commercial or operational information to a third party. This creates an equal-level bandwidth-on-demand play-field enabling any carrier to participate in the next wave of service innovation, based on their footprint and carrier-relations assets, free of vendor lock-in.

Gal Hochberg, Co-founder and CEO of Clear Blockchain Technologies, said: “The telecommunications industry is producing one of the most exponential assets of the world today: bandwidth. With a growing demand for cutting-edge technologies such as cloud, VR, or self-driving cars, telecom companies have an opportunity to unlock new revenue-generating opportunities by offering data on demand for fixed and mobile subscribers. The Bandwidth-on-Demand PoC is the first step towards a guaranteed and secured new internet layer enabling new connectivity for people and organizations wherever they are.”

Richard Fung, CEO of China Broadband Communications (CBCcom), said: “These days, no company with an eye on global expansion can afford to ignore China. Demands for bandwidth is growing exponentially in China, e-commerce transactions, Smart Cities, IoT, AI, have all been a major driver of China's digital economy. Our goal has always been to simplify the delivery of telecommunication services to help companies investing in China to do well. Likewise, China’s company going global, the Belt and Road initiative is also driving the demand for connectivity between China and rest of the world. I strongly believe, the successful roll out of this PoC will offer great benefits for global business, and redefine inter-carrier processes.”

Shahar Steiff, AVP, New Technology, PCCW Global, said: “Customers require reliable services that are based on managed connectivity, managed compute resources and managed storage resources, delivered with uncompromised security. Telecommunications carriers strive to automate the delivery of such services in order to reap the commercial benefits of measured and billable on-demand services that will yield additional revenues from existing infrastructure. This PoC demonstrates that such services can be realized today, and highlights the need of the industry to converge towards a unified modelling and operational approach, which are the prerequisites for such automation across multiple operator domains.”

Daniele Mancuso, Director Innovation & Engineering, Sparkle, said: “The ultimate goal of MEF3.0 is the creation of multiple ecosystems of interconnected Service Providers delivering their Customers with on-demand, certified, agile, assured, and orchestrated communication services. This PoC further raises the bar of the work that the Industry has done so far toward this direction, demonstrating how traditionally static and long-lasting processes such as Partners qualification, commercial iterations and settlements, can be now automated through real-time quoting portals and with the creation of decentralized circles of trust based on blockchain technology. We are delighted to participate to this highly innovative PoC confirming, once more, Sparkle as a technology & innovation driving force in the Industry.”

Matthew Ma, Vice President, Global Technology, Network and Operations Group, Tata Communications said: “Being involved in this latest proof-of-concept not only leverages our partner and technology ecosystem, it is also a step forward in demonstrating the potential value that blockchain can deliver by improving the ways in which we interoperate in the context of next generation services and ultimately the end-user experience.”

Brian Hedstrom, Co-Founder and CEO of Cataworx, said: “We are excited about bringing our software solutions to the telecom pre-sales operations space. We’ve spent the past year gaining a deep understanding of the pain points operators face with pre-sales and partner integrations. The consistent theme is a lack of automation where inefficient and error-prone manual processes are a bottleneck to delivering agile on-demand services. We have invested heavily in technologies such as collaboration, intent, natural language and AI to simplify the user experience. Cataworx is focused on driving down Telco operating expenditures and creating a revolutionary customer experience, moving more control into their customers hands. We remain committed to the success of the MEF LSO Framework and our team actively contributes to the Sonata and Cantata interface definitions.”

Pascal Menezes, CTO, MEF, said: “MEF18 Proof of Concept demonstrations, like this collaborative effort involving PCCW Global, Tata Communications, Sparkle, CBCcom, Clear, and Cataworx, are crucial to accelerating development and worldwide adoption of assured services, orchestrated across automated networks with MEF 3.0. We are delighted by the tremendous support of leading service and technology solutions providers who are participating in this year’s PoC Showcase. More than 50 companies will be involved in 20 demos. That’s double the number of participants in last year’s popular showcase.”

Engaged with major telecommunications organizations and carriers, Clear successfully completed a GLF-led PoC with PCCW Global and Colt for international wholesale IDD voice traffic, settling historical data for both companies in less than a minute. The second phase of the PoC integrated with the carriers’ production networks to settle data in near-real-time using automatic dispute resolution and settlement logic encoded in smart contracts, and was expanded to include additional carriers Telefonica, Telstra, and BT. Clear is launching additional PoCs in roaming and mobile messaging later this year.

About Clear Blockchain Technologies

Clear builds blockchain-based settlement and clearing networks for global industries. Using state-of-the-art enterprise-grade blockchain technologies and programmable smart contracts, Clear automates reconciliation and dispute resolution, providing near-real-time settlement and clearing on a global scale. This reduces costs, inefficiencies and fraud, while maintaining the confidentiality of contract and trade details. Working with industry consortia, these networks enable the commercialization of new revenue-generating products and business models, accelerating exponential growth by cutting out bureaucracy and unneeded middlemen.

To learn more about Clear, visit www.clearx.io.

About Cataworx

Cataworx, Inc. based in Boulder, Colorado is redefining how communications service providers buy and sell wholesale connectivity services. Cataworx was founded on the principles of helping Service Providers automate service lifecycle stages using software automation and AI, and integrations via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) .

Cataworx software solutions automate much of the pre-sales processes in the buying and selling of wholesale services. This equates to a faster time-to-revenue, reduced operational costs and increase in revenue opportunities. Our platform connects wholesale carriers via standards-based APIs through a network of distributed product catalogs, intent-driven customer portals (using Artificial Intelligence bots) and east-west inter-carrier B2B integrations.

For more information, visit cataworx.com or contact us at info@cataworx.com.

About CBCcom

CBCcom, your gateway to China, HQ in Beijing, is a leading providers of carrier grade network services from China. We provide reliable network services, with an extensive footprint in China and Asia Pacific, offering a carrier neutral platform, that includes low latency connectivity, hybrid cloud connectivity, premium internet access, managed services and SD-WAN, with facilities spans across many data centre providers across various markets.

About PCCW Global

PCCW Global is the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong's premier telecommunications service provider, which is majority-owned by PCCW Limited. Covering more than 3,000 cities and 150 countries, the PCCW Global network supports a portfolio of integrated global communications solutions which include Ethernet, IP, fiber and satellite transmission solutions, international voice and VoIPX services, managed network & security services and our expanding “as-a-service” solutions including OTT video and Unified Communications.

PCCW Global is headquartered in Hong Kong, and maintains regional centers in Belgium, China, France, Greece, Japan, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. To learn more about PCCW Global, please visit www.pccwglobal.com

About Sparkle

Sparkle is TIM Group’s fully owned Global Operator and among the top #10 international service providers worldwide, with a proprietary backbone of around 530,000 km of fiber spanning from Europe to Africa, the Americas and Asia. Leveraging its global IP, Data, Cloud, Data Center, Mobile Data and Voice Platforms, Sparkle offers a full range of ICT solutions to Internet Service Providers, OTTs, Media and Content Players, Application Service Providers, Fixed and Mobile operators as well as Multinational Enterprises. Its sales force is active worldwide and distributed over 36 countries.

Find out more about Sparkle at tisparkle.com

About Tata Communications

Tata Communications Limited (CIN no: L64200MH1986PLC039266) along with its subsidiaries (Tata Communications) is a leading global provider of A New World of Communications™. With a leadership position in emerging markets, Tata Communications leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multinational enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.

The Tata Communications global network includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks and a Tier-1 IP network with connectivity to more than 200 countries and territories across 400 PoPs, as well as nearly 1 million square feet of data centre and collocation space worldwide.

Tata Communications’ depth and breadth of reach in emerging markets includes leadership in Indian enterprise data services and leadership in global international voice. Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.

http://www.tatacommunications.com

© 2018 Tata Communications. All rights reserved. TATA COMMUNICATIONS and TATA are trademarks of Tata Sons Limited in certain countries. IZO™ is a trademark of Tata Communications in certain countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About MEF

An industry association of 200+ member companies, MEF recently introduced the MEF 3.0 transformational global services framework for defining, delivering, and certifying assured services orchestrated across a global ecosystem of automated networks. MEF 3.0 services are designed to provide an on-demand, cloud-centric experience with user- and application-directed control over network resources and service capabilities. MEF 3.0 services are delivered over automated, virtualized, and interconnected networks powered by LSO, SDN, and NFV. MEF produces service specifications, LSO frameworks, open LSO APIs, software-driven reference implementations, and certification programs. MEF 3.0 work will enable automated delivery of standardized Carrier Ethernet, Optical Transport, IP, SD-WAN, and Layer 4-7 services across multiple provider networks. For more information: https://www.mef.net.

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