The new “status quo” created by the emerging integration of Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) and Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructures, combined with the openness of the 5G service market, have set new standards on how the multitude of 5G service domains should be incentivized and coordinated to comply with the performance requirements set on a per session basis. In this paper, we revisit the predominant offline contract-driven mobile data access model enabling users to gain access to the infrastructure of only a few network operators and propose a new blockchain-backed mobile data access model where the key 5G stakeholders can trade, share and consume mobile edge network assets (access to the internet, spectrum, processing, storage, local content etc.) in a fully decentralized, anonymous and highly-robust fashion. Blockchain-backed mobile data access should address critical practical challenges of blockchain decentralization, scalability and security in the context of 5G and Beyond networks. Accordingly, we provide a meticulous survey of existing solutions in the aforementioned three areas and present a comprehensive holistic framework of protocols to address the key challenges identified, including a delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) for distributed blockchain consensus over 5G and Beyond mobile data networks, a future-proof smart-contract enabled payment relay service enabling instant off-chain payments in a highly robust fashion as well as a hybrid mixing protocol that enables payment relays to act as anonymous payment hubs while addressing the unique challenges opposed by the joint blockchain and network level interaction of the 5G and Beyond service components. A wide range of practical implications and mitigation measures for dishonest operation of the blockchain nodes are investigated and sophisticated yet highly-robust incentive engineering mechanisms are derived. Detailed numerical results also accompany the paper, bringing to light the unique performance trade-offs and valuable design guidelines towards blockchain-backed mobile data access for 5G and Beyond mobile data networks.
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