Nokia touts Dish as the first user of its new API platform

Nokia on Tuesday announced its new Network as Code platform and said that Dish Network is the first network operator to agree to use the platform. The move isn't surprising considering Nokia supplies Dish's 5G standalone core.

But, according to Nokia's Shkumbin Hamiti, Dish isn't the only network operator that will use the platform. He said five other unnamed network operators are currently preparing to make use of Nokia's new platform. 

"We hope to increase this number," said Hamiti, the head of Nokia's Network Monetization Platform Business Unit.

The launch of Nokia's new Network as Code platform comes just days after Nokia rival Ericsson announced the launch of its own platform for network application programming interfaces (APIs). Germany's Deutsche Telekom said it would be the first network operator to offer developers APIs into its network through a partnership with Ericsson's Vonage.

Broadly, the efforts reflect growing momentum around networking APIs, and interest among network operators and networking vendors to expose those APIs to enterprise developers that might wish to pay for them.

The details, and the revenue models

Hamiti, of Nokia, said the company's new API platform would initially support a handful of APIs including quality of service (QoS) on demand, network slice management and selection, device location and device insights. He said the company hopes to add other APIs shortly including one that would provide network insights.

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Hamiti said Nokia would offer the APIs directly to enterprise developers, and then would share its resulting revenues with participating operators.

He said there are a handful of reasons why Nokia is launching its new API platform now. "There is a concern about the financial future of all the telco operators out there," he said, explaining that they are "very motivated" to expose network APIs in order to make more money.

Indeed, new research indicates that early 5G efforts have so far failed to raise revenues among US operators in a way that would match early hype for the technology. For its part, Nokia estimates that the global, industrywide opportunity for network APIs could generate up to $26 billion in revenues by 2030.

Hamiti added that Nokia is entering the space in part because 5G technology can support the opportunity, and because the industry is quickly rallying around the concept of networking APIs.

For example, the Linux Foundation recently announced that its CAMARA project – focused on ensuring interoperability among various telco API efforts – has graduated to a funded model.

Related:Dish hints at the capabilities of its network APIs

"We are seeing a new level of openness," Hamiti said.

Operators move forward

To be clear, operators for years have discussed the possibility of opening their networks to developers. But that discussion picked up steam last year when the GSMA announced its "Open Gateway" effort. 

"We're better together than we are apart. People want interoperability," explained Jeremy Legg, AT&T's CTO, in a discussion with executives from the TM Forum. "There has to be some glue to get telcos to work together."

The TM Forum earlier this year said its APIs and Open Digital Architecture (ODA) effort would work alongside the GSMA's Open Gateway initiative.

Further, in recent months a number of network operators have indicated their interest in publishing their network APIs. For example, Dish Network offered a first look at its API effort late last year, while AT&T officials recently promised to expose the company's own networking APIs "on various hyperscaler and aggregator platforms." According to Ericsson, telecom research and consulting firm STL Partners predicts that the revenue opportunity created by mobile network APIs will grow to over $20 billion by 2028.