Nokia and Airtel Partner to Open 5G Network Capabilities to Developers via APIs

Telecom-network vendor Nokia and India's top operator Bharti Airtel have announced a strategic partnership aimed at opening up Airtel's comprehensive 5G and network infrastructure to third-party developers and enterprises.

Under the collaboration, Airtel's network capabilities will be made available on a subscription basis through Nokia's "Network as Code" platform, a developer-oriented portal designed to simplify access to advanced telecom functions.

Developers, system integrators, and enterprises across India can now tap into Airtel's pan-India 5G network to build applications leveraging 5G's high bandwidth, low latency, edge computing, and other advanced features.

According to Nokia, this transformation in "network programmability" allows operators to virtualize parts of their network and expose them through standard APIs - a shift that lets external developers create innovative services without grappling with the underlying network complexities.

With this move, Airtel transitions from being merely a connectivity provider to an enabler of network-powered digital services, unlocking new monetisation paths and giving enterprises unprecedented flexibility.

In a joint statement, Airtel Business leadership affirmed their goal of building a vibrant ecosystem for future-ready innovations, allowing developers to harness the full power of Airtel's network. On its part, Nokia described this partnership as a major milestone in expanding the reach of its Network as Code platform, enabling telcos worldwide to monetize their infrastructures while fueling the next generation of telecom-based applications.

Industry watchers believe this initiative could pave the way for a wave of 5G-driven apps in India, spanning AI services, edge computing, IoT, enterprise solutions, and even consumer-facing innovations that leverage real-time connectivity and network-aware capabilities. As 5G rollout continues across the country, this step marks a significant evolution in how telecom networks could be leveraged not just for connectivity, but as a programmable resource for developers and businesses.