Telefonica made a move to combine IoT and blockchain technologies, as it looks to provide enterprises with a more secure means of tracking and verifying data gathered by sensors, and create Industry 4.0 systems.

In a statement, the operator explained its Telefonica Tech unit had teamed with IoT solutions provider Fibocom Wireless and blockchain start-up aitos.io to develop what they claimed was the world’s first 5G blockchain IoT module that can natively record information gathered by devices to blockchain networks.

Telefonica explained with forecasts the number of connected IoT devices would hit 55.7 billion in 2025, it is “critical” companies ensure the veracity of the information collected along with ensuring no tampering had occurred.

The collaboration initially involved a proof-of-concept to integrate aitos.io’s blockchain application and Fibocom’s 5G devices with Telefonica’s TrustOS platform. Following this, the companies were able to develop and deploy the IoT blockchain solution in a matter of weeks.

They added the solution confirms “blockchain’s potential to complement other technologies such as the IoT or 5G”.

Telefonica noted employing the low latency of 5G and IoT integrating blockchain to provide an efficient way to verify information gathered in sensors, enabled it to expand the solution to various Industry 4.0 use cases, citing supply chain management and manufacturing process monitoring as examples.

Jose Luis Nunez, head of blockchain at Telefonica Tech, said the convergence of IoT and blockchain with 5G connectivity was “inevitable”.

“As connected devices multiply, it is critical to demonstrate the trustworthiness of the information that devices exchange,” he said.