The international carrier arms of Orange and Deutsche Telekom (DT) lauded the results of a study into the use of blockchain to improve information exchange between operators, a system said to ultimately improve quality of service for end users.

In a joint statement, Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier and Orange International Carriers announced the results of a proof of concept test of blockchain technology to enhance IP Exchange (IPX) services.

The pair said the system would allow secure and transparent sharing of KPI data between operators to improve “incident management” on networks.

IPX systems are one of the key components in allowing international and domestic roaming services. The two said the results of the study would now be presented to industry association the GSMA.

DT Global Carrier SVP Rolf Nafziger said the result “validates the benefits of blockchain technology for optimizing IPX services”.

Orange International Carriers CEO Emmanuel Rochas added the results were “very satisfying and they offer great promise for our industry”.

“We now have proof that IPX service management can benefit from improved levels of efficiency and reliability using blockchain. This is both timely and relevant because the forthcoming integration of 5G into mainstream telecoms services requires efficient, reliable data transfer, so these advances will bring confidence to operators and end-users alike.”