Nokia Launches Blockchain-Powered IoT Sensing as a Service for Smart Cities

Nokia is launching a set of services, based on Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, and blockchain technologies, for economically and environmentally sustainable “smart cities.”

In the emerging IoT, billions of connected devices and sensors will generate vast amounts of data. Smart cities will need to retrieve, process, interpret and act upon real-time environmental data in a timely manner to ensure they remain sustainable environments for their citizens. To enable efficient IoT ecosystems for smart cities, it’s important to create new data monetization opportunities for IoT sensor network operators able to provide smart city authorities with real-time processed and analyzed environmental data.

“Cities need to become digital in order to efficiently deliver services to their habitants,” said Asad Rizvi, head of Global Services business development at Nokia. “Smart infrastructure, which is shared, secure, and scalable, is needed to ensure urban assets and data are efficiently used. We can help cities with that. In addition, we can help operators generate new revenue utilizing their existing network by providing solutions for smart city players, such as city, transport, travel and public safety authorities.”

Nokia’s Sensing as a Service (S2aaS) provides intelligent analytics on environmental data gathered from IoT-connected sensors, which operators can sell to cities and other authorities. Nokia envisions IoT-based, real-time monitoring systems able to provide timely environmental information for smart city management. For example, S2aaS will detect unusual environmental behavior like illegal construction, trash burning or unusual particles in the air.

NetworkWorld notes that the idea behind the product is to provide a way for mobile network operators (MNOs), many of which use Nokia cell site equipment, to monetize existing infrastructure, such as towers, by selling live environmental sensor data to cities and others.

Nokia’s S2aaS is powered by a blockchain with a built-in micropayment platform, which supports smart contracts for “anonymized, private and secure micro-transactions that allow operators to monetize analyzed data and generate new revenue streams.”

“Our complete micropayment platform can help you quickly generate new revenue from your data,” reads a Nokia solution paper. “Based on blockchain, the distributed ledger technology that is taking finance, healthcare, and a range of other industries by storm, our platform allows you to easily integrate third parties into your data market — expanding your customer base and service offerings. And as every transaction is verified against other peers in the blockchain network, you can be sure that your platform is secure.”

Independent operators will have the option of a traditional CapEx (Capital Expenditure) business model, or a revenue sharing service model. Nokia stated that it will work with clients to identify optimal business models for their specific use cases.

Nokia will manage all hardware installation, equipping existing network sites with new environmental sensors and edge gateways. S2aaS will include a complete platform for collecting and processing sensor data hosted in Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Nokia’s private cloud, using a choice of Amazon IoT, and Microsoft IoT, or Nokia’s own AVA cognitive services platform. According to the company,  AVA “integrates cloud-based delivery, intelligent analytics and extreme automation to deliver instant and flawless personalized services.”

Nokia will present S2aaS and related services at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, held from February 26 to March 1, 2018.