Telefónica, Nokia collaborate on 5G SA network API adoption

‘Sustaining closed networks is a thing of the past,’ says Nokia exec

Nokia announced a collaboration with Telefonica that will see the pair develop Standalone (SA) 5G-compatible consumer, enterprise and industrial services. As part of the agreement, the companies will also explore new API opportunities, with the carrier deploying Nokia’s Network Exposure Function (NEF) and Network as Code platform in Spain and Germany to help define new use cases.

“Sustaining closed networks is a thing of the past. Embracing ecosystems is crucial for deepening collaboration and creating new use cases, better customer experiences, and new revenue opportunities,” said Shkumbin Hamiti, head of network monetization platform, cloud and network services at Nokia, adding that the deal “exemplifies” the company’s “growing openness in the telco ecosystem.”

For Telefónica, the collaboration represents a “tremendous opportunity” for developers, according to the carrier’s Core and Transport Director Cayetano Carbajo Martin. “This agreement aims to drive the industry towards building new APIs and use cases over 5G SA capabilities, which have been launched across Telefónica’s main operations,” he added.

Further, using NEF to enable developer access to 5G network capabilities, claimed the companies, will make things like precise device location services, enhanced connectivity-based notifications edge discovery possible.

Since its launch in September 2023, Nokia’s Network as Code platform has garnered agreements with 14 network operators and ecosystem partners across Europe, North America and South America. The platform “brings together networks, system integrators, and software developers into a cohesive ecosystem … [and] simplifies the integration of advanced 5G capabilities into applications,” summarized Nokia.