Advanced Trustless Architectures for Efficient Service Management in Next-Generation Mobile Networks
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
L10, Linnanmaa
Topic of the dissertation
Advanced Trustless Architectures for Efficient Service Management in Next-Generation Mobile Networks
Doctoral candidate
Master of Science Thamali Dananjani Nisita Weerasinghe Namugoda Wijesinghe Atapattu Mudiyanselage Udawatte
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, CWC Networks and System
Subject of study
Communications Engineering
Opponent
Professor Najmul Islam, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT)
Custos
Professor Mika Ylianttila, University of Oulu
Advanced Trustless Architectures for Efficient Service Management in Next-Generation Mobile Networks
Trustless architectures are increasingly important in next-generation mobile networks, where multiple independent stakeholders often lack mutual trust. This thesis investigates how blockchain can help in managing critical interactions of next-generation mobile networks by proposing advanced trustless architectures focused on three main scenarios: resource trading between resource providers and mobile network operators in network slicing, enforcement of service level agreements between communication service providers and customers, and collaboration among mobile operators, local 5G operators, and end-users.
The first part of the thesis presents TokenNet, a blockchain-based marketplace that uses non-fungible tokens for resource management in network slicing. TokenNet yields up to 30% cost savings in network slice provisioning and 4x faster token minting process compared to baseline approach. The second contribution of the thesis introduces a novel blockchain-enabled service level agreement management framework with a custom Proof-of-Monitoring consensus mechanism. The proposed mechanism uses on-chain monitoring proofs instead of resource intensive hash calculations. Based on simulation results, our model improves energy efficiency by more than 20x over Proof-of-Work mechanism while maintaining robust SLA adherence. The third part of the thesis demonstrates a modular blockchain-as-a-service architecture tailored for local 5G networks, supporting spectrum trading and national roaming. Results show a 15% drop in roaming costs and a 20% improvement in network selection accuracy.
Overall, each architecture is built to serve its specific use case as an all-in-one solution and has been validated through prototype development and simulation. The results establish solid foundations for trustworthy and efficient service management in next-generation mobile networks. Importantly, by removing the need for inherent trust, these solutions allow stakeholders to adopt network services with greater confidence. Furthermore, outcomes of this thesis lay a practical foundation for upcoming research and adoption of decentralized service management in future mobile networks.
The first part of the thesis presents TokenNet, a blockchain-based marketplace that uses non-fungible tokens for resource management in network slicing. TokenNet yields up to 30% cost savings in network slice provisioning and 4x faster token minting process compared to baseline approach. The second contribution of the thesis introduces a novel blockchain-enabled service level agreement management framework with a custom Proof-of-Monitoring consensus mechanism. The proposed mechanism uses on-chain monitoring proofs instead of resource intensive hash calculations. Based on simulation results, our model improves energy efficiency by more than 20x over Proof-of-Work mechanism while maintaining robust SLA adherence. The third part of the thesis demonstrates a modular blockchain-as-a-service architecture tailored for local 5G networks, supporting spectrum trading and national roaming. Results show a 15% drop in roaming costs and a 20% improvement in network selection accuracy.
Overall, each architecture is built to serve its specific use case as an all-in-one solution and has been validated through prototype development and simulation. The results establish solid foundations for trustworthy and efficient service management in next-generation mobile networks. Importantly, by removing the need for inherent trust, these solutions allow stakeholders to adopt network services with greater confidence. Furthermore, outcomes of this thesis lay a practical foundation for upcoming research and adoption of decentralized service management in future mobile networks.
Last updated: 8.8.2025