The potential for network APIs to kick start operators’ revenue growth renewal was brought into sharp focus recently when some of the world’s largest operators and Ericsson announced a new venture to sell network APIs on a global basis. The list of operators involved in this venture includes América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Reliance Jio, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone.
This venture makes good sense for those involved. They can offer network APIs globally and have a vision that “new applications will work anywhere and, on any network.”
Network APIs enable developers to access 5G networks to build telecom network capabilities in their applications. This allows applications to take advantage of the high speed, low latency capabilities and security of 5G networks. These applications could include high-speed gaming with no glitches, video conferencing with no delay, real-time customer authentication, credit card fraud control, autonomous equipment management, intelligent drone control and so many more. As well as enhancing existing applications and use cases, network APIs provide the foundation for many new use cases. This provides a significant opportunity for developers to innovate as well as a new way for operators to monetize 5G networks. The operators could charge each time an API call is made and/or a fee for a speed boost for, say, multi-play gaming.
What will significantly enable the success of network APIs is the fact that they are based on standards, which makes it easier to implement and use these APIs. The main two groups involved in the development and rollout of standardised network APIs are CAMARA and the GSMA. CAMARA is an open-source project which is part of the Linux Foundation and defines service APIs by combining network APIs over an operator domain. CAMARA works closely with the GSMA Operator Platform Group to align API requirements and definitions, and to publish APIs. The GSMA is coordinating the introduction of network APIs through its Open Gateway initiative. Even before the recent announcement of the new global operators and Ericsson venture, many leading operators were already making network APIs available to application developers via websites. Click on the links to see some examples from Vodafone, Orange and Telefonica. In addition, operators can also provide access to APIs to system integrators, key technology vendors API marketplaces and hyperscaler platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure) with vast developer bases.
When it comes to network APIs, here are some numbers to consider:
$34,000,000,0000 – this is the value that the network API market will reach by 2030. This is according to leading research and analyst firm STL.
34% - the compound annual growth rate of the value of the network API market from 2023 to 2030.
65% - the percentage of the world’s mobile connections that the operators who have signed up to the GSMA Open Gateway initiative represent.
This is a big deal for the mobile industry and many of the main operators are behind this. This shows how important it is to develop new revenue sources and start to monetize 5G networks beyond providing basic connectivity. According to the GSMA (Revisiting 5G Monetization Report, September 2024), the current forecast revenue growth rate for the global mobile market is around the 2% p.a. mark. This is below the level of inflation in many countries. Many operators have reacted to the slowdown in revenue growth by going on cost-cutting sprees. But that can only go so far to balance the books so it’s little wonder that the GSMA states, in the same report, that:
“While cost cutting can help, it can only go so far. The fundamental challenge is to renew revenue growth.”
Network APIs are one way to kick-start the renewal of revenue growth for mobile operators and it certainly looks like operators are embracing this. A DSP (Digital Service Providers) Leaders report from TelecomTV (published July 2024) showed the relative importance of network APIs to develop new revenue streams. The report called, The Network APIs Strategy Report, showed that 76% of operators have a network API strategy. Many operators are placing bets that network APIs will generate new revenue streams with 59% of operators saying that network APIs are ‘quite important’ to develop new revenue streams, where 17% see them as ‘crucial’.
While there’s no question about the importance of network APIs, there is the question if all the operators are ready?
As we can see from the operator developer website examples above many operators are currently actively working with application developers. The announcement of a new global venture that will provide a global marketplace for network APIs shows just how serious the mobile industry is to capitalise on the opportunities that network APIs can enable. But will the new venture (which will be 50% owned by Ericsson and 50% by the network operators) provide the one-stop shop for network API monetization for all operators? While the new venture says that “additional telecom operators are encouraged to join the new company,” there will be some who prefer to deal directly with developers and other channels to market and do things themselves either for commercial or other reasons.
While many operators have an established network API strategy and enabling systems in place many others have yet to make the leap. In the same DSP leaders report operators were asked if their network and IT systems were set up to expose network capabilities easily and securely to application developers. 51% said yes. 33% said no and 16% said they weren’t sure. So best case scenario is that a third of operators aren’t ready to provide network APIs to developers, and the worst case is that this figure could be closer to 50%.
Many operators are using the current level of interest and activity around network APIs as a catalyst to examine their overall API strategy to see how easily and securely they can enable system interoperability, both for internal systems and those of their partners. The high-profile news of the creation of a new global venture to make available and sell APIs will only increase the focus on operators’ general API strategies. Even before the announcement of the global operators’ network API venture, there has been an upswing in interest by operators in using API Hubs to manage their APIs and make them securely and easily available to a wide range of developers, channels, and partners. API Hubs provide tools for operators to manage their APIs, to easily and securely provide access to network APIs, and to enable omni-channel innovation, metering, and API monetization.
The call from the GMSA for operators to take up the challenge of renewing growth is welcome. 2% revenue growth p.a. and continued cost-cutting is forcing the mobile industry to behave like a commodity supplier where the only differentiator is price. That is not sustainable for the industry. Network APIs are just one example where operators can enable network differentiation to enable and improve a wide range of valuable services, such as fraud detection and management, and provide a foundation for developer innovation. It’s good to see the level of support that network APIs have in the industry to be part of the growth renewal strategies that are needed in the mobile industry. Likewise, the news about the leading operators and Ericsson venture to sell APIs is good news as it shows commitment to monetize 5G and to focus on APIs and enabling innovation. However, network APIs are just one part of operators’ API strategies. There are many more APIs that operators use to open up their systems to enable partner interoperability and innovation that can be monetized.
Download the Qvantel White Paper: Network APIs - Opening a New Frontier to Revenue Growth and Innovation below.
Mahender Nandikonda
VP Products, Qvantel