Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel part of global venture to sell network API

Set to begin by early 2025, venture includes 12 major telcos globally

Ericsson on Friday said it has created a joint venture with a dozen telecom operators, including Reliance Jio and Airtel, to sell network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) on a global scale. 

The move is set to open up the next frontier in app development since the newly formed company will allow apps created through the APIs to work anywhere and on any of the networks, Ericsson said in a statement.

Network APIs are open interfaces that allow developers to easily access advanced 5G network capabilities.

The venture will drive implementation and access to common APIs from multiple telecom service providers to a broader ecosystem of developer platforms.

Modern mobile networks have advanced and intelligent capabilities, which have historically been inaccessible to developers.

"Additionally, it has been impractical for developers to integrate the different capabilities of hundreds of individual telecom operators," Ericsson said.

However, the new venture is expected to set the industry standard globally and lead to a breakthrough towards this considering the names involved. América Móvil, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone are part of the venture.

The transaction is expected to be closed by early 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.

Upon closure, Ericsson will hold 50 per cent of the equity in the venture while the telecom providers will hold the other 50 per cent.

The new venture is expected to lead to many new use cases being found across sectors. These could include anti-fraud verification for financial transactions and the ability to check device status so streaming providers can dynamically adjust video quality, Ericsson said.

“This move will enhance network monetisation opportunities. Airtel is delighted to partner in this initiative that will help enable the telecom sector to drive growth and innovation across the ecosystem," Gopal Vittal, managing director and chief executive officer of Bharti Airtel, said.

The newly formed company will provide network APIs to a broad ecosystem of developer platforms, including hyperscalers, Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) providers, system integrators and independent software vendors, Ericsson said. 

Vonage and Google Cloud will partner with the new company, providing access to their ecosystems of millions of developers as well as their partners.

“As we rapidly adopt an AI and API-driven technology ecosystem by collaborating with global leaders, Jio is thrilled to offer a suite of innovative and transformative APIs to enterprises and developers worldwide,” Mathew Oommen, Reliance Jio president said.

The blueprint
 

> Ericsson has formed a global venture with 12 telcos to sell network software

> The newly formed company will allow apps created through the APIs to work anywhere and on any of the networks

> Network APIs are open interfaces that allow developers to easily access advanced 5G network capabilities