Telefónica Implements Blockchain for Sustainable Equipment Tracking

Spain telecom giant Telefónica is using blockchain technology to help track the repair and recoverability of mobile devices, support a circular economy for devices, and hit sustainability targets. Spain telecom giant Telefónica is using blockchain technology to help track the repair and recoverability of mobile devices, support a circular economy for devices, and hit sustainability targets. The National Observatory of Technology and Society (ONTSI) revealed in its study, “Use of technology in Spanish households,” that households connected to broadband internet in that country surged from 81% in 2016, to 96% last year. That surge has resulted in an increase in device consumption and wasted electronic equipment. Telefónica wrote “in 2021 the top 100 companies in the IT sector had a combined turnover of more than $59 billion in Spain,” with more than $1 billion in turnover from top wholesalers like Esprinet, Samsung Electronics, Tech Data, Ingram Micro, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). As a result, 53.6 million metric tons of waste was produced in 2019, with a 21% spike in the last five years, according to The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report. “The same document sets this figure as a new record,” Telefónica wrote, “and predicts that by 2030 it will reach around 74 million [metric tons], which would double the figures in just 16 years.” Telefónica cited efforts to track reusable and recyclable products with the launch by TCO Certified of its “generation 8” certification program in 2018. That effort stepped away from the “extract-manufacture-dispose” model for a more responsible and transparent supply chain.  The operator also noted the Eco Rating launch last year, which allows consumers to evaluate equipment purchasing decisions based on their impact on the environment. Blockchain is the next step in that direction, providing the opportunity to maximize internal transparency and efficiency, further sustaining a device’s initial working lifespan.  Telefónica Tech through its TrustOS service powers device repair and reusability tracking so records can guarantee “the related information through blockchain and eliminating the possibility of falsifying it in terms of both date and content.” It also offers its Aitana artificial intelligence (AI) platform that can provide “predictive models on repairability and recoverability,” with efficient, real-time management of each repair ticket.