SKT, KT and LG Uplus will collaborate on network API standard
Analyst calls it the first regional effort to foster interoperability across networks
Many analysts and consultants are still keen on 5G APIs as a money maker, although this hasn't happened yet
Multiple leading South Korean operators are collaborating on developing a unified network open Application Programming Interface (API) standard by the end of the year.
Major South Korean operators SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this week to develop the benchmark.
It's a move that is unique for the 5G API code, according to neXt Curve analyst Leonard Lee. “It’s the first I heard of a regional effort to foster interoperability across operator networks,” Lee told Fierce.
APIs are essentially channels between programs to allow them to "talk" to each other, and 5G was designed with this kind of internetworking in mind. The 5G core uses APIs to enable various billing and traffic management tasks, while network slicing and multi-access edge computing (MEC) both utilize this API technology.
A billion dollar boondoggle?
Many consultants and analysts are keen on the prospects for 5G APIs.
In a February 2024 report, perennial market boosters McKinsey & Company predicted that APIs could unlock between $100 billion to $300 billion in revenue for operators – who would use the channels to help prevent credit card fraud, deliver less glitchy video conferencing and pursue other use cases. That hasn’t happened yet, but vendors and operators like Verizon are certainly trying to make APIs happen.
The South Korean effort also could help move the 5G API ecosystem along. “This move by Korea operators could serve as a blueprint for other regional operators to structure service interoperability and interchange in their markets. In this regard, I think this is a great pioneering move by the Korean operators,” Lee said.
The analyst notes that the South Korean APIs will “probably focus on distributed computing” – that may bring in artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms – and “grades” of Quality-of-service on Demand (QoD) for network services.