Programmable network software, particularly network application programming interfaces (APIs), is expected to become a necessity for the global telecom industry from 2026 onwards as operators pursue 5G-driven monetisation, according to French IT services firm Capgemini.
Also Read: 5G Monetisation: Nokia, Airtel Partner to Open 5G Network Capabilities to Developers via APIs
APIs Seen as Core to Telecom Modernisation
“APIs, in my view, are a vehicle for telcos to modernise and prepare for a shift from connecting humans and phones to connecting tens of billions of devices,” said Sandeep Arora, vice president and industry platform leader for telecom (India) at Capgemini, in an interview with ETTelecom. He added that, to support this scale, telecom operators will need to adopt a connectivity-as-a-service (CaaS) model and open up their networks to developers.
“From that perspective, APIs are not optional but a necessity. They help telcos open up, modernise, and prepare to support thousands of new entities, all operating in increasingly autonomous ecosystems,” Arora added, according to the report dated December 30, 2025.
Industry Momentum Builds Around Network APIs
Network APIs allow operators to virtualise parts of their networks and expose specific data and capabilities to developers, with the industry betting on such software to generate incremental revenues through new consumer applications.
Interest in network APIs has gained momentum this year, marked by initiatives such as the formation of Aduna, a 50:50 joint venture between Ericsson and a group of global telecom operators. In early December, Nokia partnered with Bharti Airtel to make the Indian operator’s 5G network capabilities available to developers, targeting new monetisable use cases across multiple industry verticals.
Despite the growing activity, the revenue potential of network APIs is yet to fully materialise. According to Juniper Research cited in the report, global operator revenue from network APIs is projected to exceed USD 8 billion by 2030, largely driven by early use cases such as know-your-customer (KYC), SIM swap detection, and number verification.
Also Read: 5G Has Not Led to Any Monetisation, Anywhere in the World: Airtel MD
Revenue Potential Still Emerging
Arora reportedly said it remains difficult to predict when network APIs will become mainstream in India, but warned that without large-scale investments today, operators may not be ready to support future use cases. “It is clear that without making large-scale investments today, telcos will not be ready to support such use cases in the future.”
He added that Capgemini works closely with industry bodies such as the GSMA and TM Forum to help drive standards and align its clients with ecosystem developments.
Also Read: Global Telecom Operators Launch New Network API Venture
Capgemini’s Telecom Business
Capgemini’s Telco, Media and Technology (TMT) business contributed 11 percent to the group’s overall revenue in the fiscal third quarter ended October 28, 2025. Arora also pointed to rising stock prices of global telecom companies, including BT, Orange and Nokia, as an indication that the industry has been performing well.
“The market dynamics for telecom companies and our customers have been strong over the last year, and our own performance in the TMT sector has been a good reflection of that at a micro level as well,” he concluded, according to the report.
