- The partnership marries Ericsson’s programmable-network infrastructure with LotusFlare’s cloud-native DNO Cloud API platform.
- Together they plan to release solution blueprints easing adoption of network APIs — raising questions about how quickly CSPs can monetise these APIs and whether developers will embrace them.
What happened: Ericsson Partners with LotusFlare and Takes Minority Stake to Boost CSP API Network Capabilities
The telecom industry has increasingly eyed network APIs as a way to turn network capabilities — such as quality-of-service controls, identity or location services, SIM-swap detection — into monetisable, value-added services for enterprises and developers. Standardising and simplifying API exposure is widely seen as key to unlocking this potential.
By combining Ericsson’s vast infrastructure and network fabrication with LotusFlare’s DNO Cloud platform and developer-friendly abstractions, the partnership could significantly lower the barrier for CSPs to adopt network APIs. For operators—often encumbered with legacy systems—these “solution blueprints” might serve as a ready-made launchpad.
Moreover, this move reinforces the growing ecosystem led by Aduna: the addition of LotusFlare may enhance global scale, making operator APIs more accessible and interoperable across markets. In Japan, for instance, major operators like SoftBank and NTT DOCOMO have previously signed memoranda of understanding with Aduna — suggesting such API exposure could reach advanced markets soon.
But substantial questions remain. Will enough CSPs adopt the proposed blueprints to create a broad, consistent API ecosystem? Will developers find the network APIs compelling — or continue to rely on over-the-top (OTT) services and traditional APIs? And even if deployment accelerates, will monetisation ambitions translate into meaningful revenue or simply expose operators to greater complexity and regulatory scrutiny?
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Why it’s important
The telecom industry has increasingly eyed network APIs as a way to turn network capabilities — such as quality-of-service controls, identity or location services, SIM-swap detection — into monetisable, value-added services for enterprises and developers. Standardising and simplifying API exposure is widely seen as key to unlocking this potential.
By combining Ericsson’s vast infrastructure and network fabrication with LotusFlare’s DNO Cloud platform and developer-friendly abstractions, the partnership could significantly lower the barrier for CSPs to adopt network APIs. For operators—often encumbered with legacy systems—these “solution blueprints” might serve as a ready-made launchpad.
Moreover, this move reinforces the growing ecosystem led by Aduna: the addition of LotusFlare may enhance global scale, making operator APIs more accessible and interoperable across markets. In Japan, for instance, major operators like SoftBank and NTT DOCOMO have previously signed memoranda of understanding with Aduna — suggesting such API exposure could reach advanced markets soon.
