Decentralised token enables connectivity of IoT devices

Growing consumer demand for data and increasing numbers of networked devices puts Telcos’ charging and billing infrastructure under pressure. To realise the 5G vision for connected devices, the basis of charging and settlement has to change, to avoid it becoming an industry bottleneck.

At the moment the technical effort and cost of relaying a message from a video doorbell is similar to that of watching a movie, but at a fraction of the revenue for the operator. It costs a mobile operator $6 per year per account to connect to a single device which is prohibitively expensive.

Minima’s solution to these challenges is to manage access to mobile services via a decentralised blockchain, involving the sale and acceptance of tokens as proof that the user is eligible to access the desired services, replacing the centralised and complex legacy approval systems.

Telcos can sell tokens that represent 100 SMS messages, or 1GB of internet data and accept payment back in tokens when the user requires these services. A permissionless blockchain allows decentralised payment at one of countless base stations without requiring approval by the main operator. Users can then independently create secondary markets for token resale and exchange.

The Minima testnet is currently running and will shortly be made available, alongside Beta Apps, while the mainnet will launch early in 2021. 

Gary Lamb, CEO of Manx Telecom Group said: “Manx Telecom has a proud history of delivering telecoms innovation, working with like-minded partners. This blockchain PoC with Minima is the latest demonstration of our ability to innovate in an agile way and underlines our commitment to identifying technologies which can power the future of telecoms.”

Hugo Feiler, CEO and Co-founder at Minima commented: “Minima is perfectly positioned to enable the massive growth expected in Internet of Things devices, while satisfying increased consumer demand for mobile data and services. This successful first proof of concept with Manx Telecom has shown how the purchase and application of tokens can work in practice and we are looking to announce more partnerships and engagement from telecoms companies and other industries in the coming months.”