MetriNote – Ericsson, Telecom Operators to Team on Network API Venture

Author: Beth Schultz, VP of Research and Principal Analyst

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September 12, 2024 – Ericsson announced that it has teamed with a dozen telecom operators in a newly formed company aimed at spurring the use of network APIs globally. The company will do so by providing network APIs, based on the open-source CAMARA project, for use with developer platforms from hyperscalers, communications platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) providers, systems integrators, and independent software vendors. On the developer side, Google Cloud and Vonage are initial partners. Operators already involved in the new venture include América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Reliance Jio, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Vodafone, and Ericsson encourages additional participants. Ericsson will hold 50% of the equity, with the remainder held by the telecom operators. Shareholders will provide funding, relationships, and varied expertise to the new company; the transaction is expected to close in early 2025, pending regulatory approvals.