The Japanese operator joins 12 other carrier groups in the initiative launched by Ericsson, while Sinch lines up alongside platform providers Vonage and Google Cloud
Aduna, the joint venture between Ericsson and some of the world’s largest operator groups announced Japan’s KDDI has joined as an equity partner. “KDDI will further strengthen Aduna’s vision of accelerating the adoption and innovation of common network…APIs…by developers on a global scale,” according to the press statement.
Aduna was launched in September 2024 to simplify global access to network APIs. The transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. Ericsson plans to own 50% of the venture with the other 50% split between the operator groups.
Aduna’s other operator partners so far are América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Reliance Jio, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile, Verizon, Vodafone.
KDDI will share expertise and resources, both technical and marketing, to boost Aduna’s scope and impact to help the JV achieve its goal of creating open, non-discriminatory access to advanced network capabilities.
Kazuyuki Yoshimura, CTO at KDDI, says, “As a pioneer in telecommunications, KDDI is proud to take part in opening the network to exciting new possibilities…Each new network integrated into this unified platform helps create an ecosystem where advanced applications can flourish, bringing seamless connectivity and enhanced services to more businesses and consumers than ever before.”
Anthony Bartolo, CEO, Aduna, added, “The addition of KDDI underscores Aduna’s commitment to reshaping the telecom industry through the power of network APIs.…With the new and more advanced applications that can be built with network APIs, Aduna will unlock new revenue opportunities, transform business operations, and enhance customer experiences with innovative solutions that are truly differentiating.”
It’s a Sinch
Earlier this week Sinch announced a strategic partnership with Aduna. Sinch says that along with other the venture’s other developer platform partners, like Vonage (owned by Ericsson) and Google Cloud, its collaboration with Aduna will drive innovation, scale and operational efficiency for enterprises.
Sinch’s network APIs enables businesses to embed critical functions like two-factor authentication (2FA), identify verification and fraud prevention into their offers. As part of this partnership, Sinch will expand its Number Verification API offers and streamline developer integration through standardised interfaces like TM Forum’s Operate APIs.
Sinch describes itself as “a key contributor to the CAMARA initiative” and with its expertise in API integration, security, and developer onboarding to accelerate industry adoption. Sinch says it “is poised to expand its network API portfolio and broaden its global reach in 2025, enabling businesses to innovate confidently and securely at scale”.
“The collaboration with Sinch as a partner will be a crucial step for the success of Aduna. We are removing significant barriers for developers eager to harness the full potential of mobile networks,” said Anthony Bartolo, CEO of Aduna.
“The planned integration of Sinch’s expertise and reach will enable developers across leading platforms to access advanced network capabilities globally via common APIs. Aduna’s mission is to accelerate digital transformation across businesses and society, and we are excited to partner with Sinch as we expand the network API ecosystem.”