Blockchain Integration in 5G Technologies: SDN and Network Slicing

Abstract

The deployment of fifth-generation wireless networks shows promising significant advancements in network capacity, system throughput, and high-quality service. Nevertheless, challenges such as transparency, network privacy, and security vulnerabilities remain to be addressed. Blockchain, a distributed ledger system, offers transparency, immutability, and decentralization, making it a compelling solution for addressing these issues in the context of 5G. By combining blockchain and 5G, new opportunities arise for secure and transparent IoT networks, enhanced network security and privacy, as well as decentralized network management and governance. This paper delves into the application of blockchain in 5G, discussing its benefits and challenges. Interestingly, we concentrate on two key prospective applications, namely software defined networking and Network Slicing. We finally discuss the challenges for widespread adoption of blockchain in the context of 5G and provide insights for future research directions.