Ericsson has entered API partnerships with both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm
Ericsson has announced an increased focus on network application programming interfaces (APIs) at its R&D centers in India, the vendor said in a release.
Network APIs enable various industry sectors to tap into the advanced features of telecommunications networks. As service providers continue to deliver 5G benefits to consumers and businesses, they also have an opportunity to transform networks into platforms for innovation, Ericsson said.
By offering advanced 5G capabilities to the global developer community through open network APIs, features like network slicing and quality on demand can be accessed through programmatic interfaces, Ericsson said, adding that programmable 5G standalone (SA) networks are opening up new opportunities for service innovation and introducing performance-based business models.
In this context, Ericsson recently unveiled a new partnership with several leading service providers in India, including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm, to jointly offer APIs on a global scale. This initiative aims to drive the adoption of standardized APIs across multiple telecom operators, extending access to a broader ecosystem of developer platforms, the Nordic vendor said.
Andres Vicente, head of Southeast Asia, Oceania and India at Ericsson, said: “We are stepping up the work on AI, Gen AI and Network APIs at our R&D centers in India. The synergy of high-performance and programmable networks, combined with network APIs and a vibrant ecosystem of developers, will create a powerful network effect of growth and innovation.”
The focus of the R&D teams is on developing API capabilities to support secure network interfaces, as well as advanced use cases in device management, security and fraud detection, the executive added.
Ericsson’s R&D teams in Chennai, Bengaluru and Gurugram work across a range of telecom domains, including transport, packet core, OSS, BSS, cloud and AI technologies, while India’s 6G research teams are working on advanced areas like intent-based autonomous telecom networks, trustworthy AI, sustainable AI and generative AI technologies. Ericsson has also collaborated with leading Indian institutes for research in radio, AI and cloud technologies.
Incorporating AI into its product and service offerings, Ericsson has deployed AI solutions in customer networks to address challenges in network planning, deployment and operations. Leveraging generative AI, Ericsson has developed intelligent assistants that enable engineers to interact with the network using natural language, significantly reducing the time for tasks such as network monitoring and troubleshooting. This is supported by Ericsson’s internal generative AI platform, Ericsson Language Intelligence (ELI), which includes telecom-optimized large language models.
Ericsson is also showcasing how AI and generative AI can make telecom networks more intelligent and energy-efficient. For example, their “brain-inspired AI” demo illustrates how future 6G networks can significantly reduce AI compute energy consumption. The “robotic dog” demo showcases the use of AI, robotics and 5G to improve safety in enterprises, such as fire hazard prevention or intrusion detection.
At the India Mobile Congress, Ericsson’s recent demonstrations covered four key clusters: 5G for Consumers, 5G for Enterprises, 5G and Beyond and programmable networks. The “5G and Beyond” segment highlights Ericsson’s progress toward 6G, particularly through the contributions of its R&D teams in AI and generative AI.
