The three telecommunications companies, SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus, announced on the 28th that they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly establish and commercialize the ‘Network Open API’ standard in the domestic telecommunications sector. Open API is an interface that has been made public so that anyone can easily and conveniently develop applications.
With this MOU, the three telecommunication companies agreed to jointly promote the domestic ecosystem of open application program interface (API) technology, such as jointly establishing Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) standards and verifying interoperability within the year. Through this, the goal is to accelerate the digital innovation of the domestic mobile telecommunications industry and create a domestic ecosystem that meets global standards. In particular, it is expected that network open API technology will allow many companies to develop innovative services linked to each industry using the telecommunications companies’ commercial networks, and new business opportunities will open based on this.
For example, in the event of a disaster, location information and on-demand quality assurance (QoD) APIs can be used to transmit real-time video taken by drones to the 5G network, helping to rescue people. It is also explained that it can be used to prevent financial crimes by checking SIM card change history, roaming status, location information, and strengthening user authentication. The three telecommunication companies will prioritize the development of six network API standards, including these.
The three telecommunications companies have already provided APIs so that developers or corporate customers can develop by connecting telecommunications networks and external applications. Through this, service app developers have used APIs to develop innovative services and create new business opportunities. However, since each telecommunications company provides different standards, there was the inconvenience of having to meet each company’s standards.
Moreover, as the global telecommunications industry has recently been actively promoting collaboration between telecommunications companies through API technology research and standardization work, domestic companies also needed to follow suit. Based on this MOU, an ecosystem that can be linked simply and quickly with global services is expected to be created in the future.
Ryu Tak-ki, head of SKT’s infrastructure technology division, said, “Networks are evolving beyond their role of providing simple connectivity into telco infrastructure that creates new services with artificial intelligence (AI) and various information-based APIs,” adding, “We will create a virtuous cycle structure that reduces development costs for external customers and increases the speed of service launches.”
Lee Jong-sik, head of KT Network Research Center, said, “This MOU will enable us to provide various services based on common network APIs in domestic and international markets,” and added, “We will pursue technology development and standardization so that we can globally support various customer requirements such as service quality, authentication, and enhanced security.”
Lee Sang-heon, head of network development at LG Uplus, said, “Through this collaboration, we have laid the foundation for innovative services that can provide new value to customers,” and added, “We will strive to become a catalyst for the digital innovation growth of the three telecommunications companies.”
Reporter Information Yoon Seon-hoon chakrell@ajunews.com
2024-08-28 00:19:30