Dubai telecom giant du joins Carrier Blockchain Study Group

Dubai-based telecom giant du has joined the Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) as part of its efforts to foster blockchain innovations, Emirates News Agency reported.

Part of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), du was recently in the news for its partnership with Dhonor HealthTech to develop the UAE’s first blockchain solution for patient-centric safety verification

Launched in September 2017, CBSG aims to build a next-generation global cross-carrier blockchain platform and ecosystem. Founding members include TBCASoft, SoftBank, Sprint Corporation, and Far EasTone Telecommunications. The consortium has also been joined by LG Uplus, KT Corporation, Etisalat Telecommunication Corporation, PLDT, Turkcell, Viettel Telecom Corporation, and Zain Group, among others.

With its CBSG membership, du will drive the development of blockchain-enabled services, such as TBCASoft’s Cross-Carrier Payment Systems (CCPS) – a blockchain-based global payment system which offers streamlined cross-carrier mobile payments and cross-carrier remittances through mobile wallets to end users.

“By joining the CBSG, our involvement with this expert consortium of industry leaders will launch the adoption of blockchain in the UAE telco sector and align us with the objectives of the UAE Blockchain Strategy 2021," said Osman Sultan, CEO of EITC.

In September 2018, four consortium members – LG Uplus, SoftBank, Far EasTone, and TBCASoft – teamed up to trial CCPS. The trial was scheduled to start in early 2019. In addition, SoftBank and TBCASoft collaborated with Synchronoss Technologies on a Proof of Concept (PoC) for a Rich Communications Service (RCS) and blockchain-based mobile payments service.