How 5G with network APIs can completely change the manufacturing equation

What you’ll learn:

Modern 5G networks were basic best-effort communication pathways; now they’re intelligent platforms.
The technical implementation is straightforward—proven B2B integration methods connect industry applications directly to telecom networks.
Your network contributes valuable data points from connected devices, including IoT devices and remote endpoints, that strengthen existing fraud and security processes.

Manufacturing is transforming rapidly as companies embrace digital technologies to boost productivity, improve agility, and slash operational costs. The game-changer? Programmable networks and network APIs—an emerging telecom trend that's putting powerful 5G network capabilities directly into the hands of industrial applications.

Podcast: How modern networks are helping industrial AI deliver on the promise

Modern 5G networks have evolved from basic best-effort communication pathways into intelligent platforms with broad capabilities that applications can now access directly.

In a world where networks are becoming as essential as morning coffee, are you ready to embrace the APIs that could change everything?

Some possibilities that will transform your operations

On-demand network optimization: Your applications can make API calls to instantly adjust bandwidth or latency, ensuring critical operations run smoothly when it matters most.

Real-time asset intelligence: Networks can now provide real-time information about your device like location, connection status, battery status, and more, thereby dramatically enhancing asset management and operational visibility.

Proactive performance management: Get crucial data about network congestion before problems arise, allowing your applications to proactively mitigate performance issues and keep operations running seamlessly.

Network operators are embracing this transformation, recognizing the powerful mutual benefits for both the telecom and manufacturing sectors. This signals a fundamental shift in their operational model by actively providing direct access to their network capabilities.

The technical implementation is straightforward—proven B2B integration methods connect industry applications directly to telecom networks. Network operators expose these capabilities through well-defined application programming interfaces (APIs) and ready-to-use prefabricated network components. These enable software developers to integrate network functions and components into their existing applications, just like any other B2B integration across industries.

Key benefits and real-world impact for manufacturing

Most industries today depend on SCADA systems, PLCs, and IoT platforms running over private networks like ethernet or LoRaWAN plus public wireless networks. These setups demand hefty infrastructure investments, create information silos with delayed visibility, and struggle with scalability and security across distributed sites.

5G networks with network APIs change this equation entirely, delivering tangible benefits that tackle manufacturing's biggest challenges head-on.

Enhanced asset management and reduced downtime

Mobile network data gives you device location and status information, enabling improved asset tracking, geofencing, and auditing. This can complement or even replace GPS for lower-cost devices while conserving battery power.

Because location visibility is coming from the network perspective, network APIs can provide location information even when GPS is blocked, jammed, or disabled, and last-known location can be provided for a device that is powered off or disconnected from the network.

Network operators are embracing this transformation, recognizing the powerful mutual benefits for both the telecom and manufacturing sectors.

Also, a notification API can inform the asset manager that a device has disconnected from the network (i.e., failure or power loss) to trigger repair or replacement for reduced downtime.

Network quality on demand and optimized operations

Gone are the days of best-efforts network performance limiting your critical applications. Quality on Demand (QoD) capabilities let your applications request real-time network adjustments. Need to transmit high-resolution video for remote inspection of equipment malfunction?

Instead of over-investing in permanent high-capacity networks, use QoD APIs to allocate resources only when needed. This enables more cost-effective, responsive operations and might reduce network subscription costs by up to 50%. Rather than paying a premium for priority QoS, use a standard cellular subscription with applications requesting a QoS boost on-demand.

Improved worker safety and incident response

Video analytics and anomaly detection software power automated worker safety programs by streaming workplace video and scanning for positional anomalies like someone in the wrong location or position.

The network provides location data to detect these anomalies and send notifications, and applications request Quality on Demand connections to support high-resolution video investigation. Worker safety is a top priority for every manufacturing enterprise, and network-aware solutions will help prevent worker accidents and improve incident response.

Augmented fraud and security measures

Your network contributes valuable data points from connected devices, including IoT devices and remote endpoints, that strengthen existing fraud and security processes. Information like network connection status, duration, device location, and SIM changes become powerful inputs for security automation algorithms. Network APIs can be used for improved and streamlined multifactor authentication.

Video: Industry 5.0 all about 'human-led innovation'

Consider this: Manufacturing industry sources report a 124% year-over-year increase in Industrial IoT cybersecurity attacks, and Verizon DBIR identified an 89% year-over-year increase in confirmed data breaches in the manufacturing sector.

According to PSA Certified, the average cost of a successful IoT device attack is more than $330,000. Given these challenges, network APIs provide key capabilities to protect IoT devices and remote endpoints from ever-present cybersecurity threats.

Predictive maintenance

Network APIs unlock access to real-time data and event triggers that combine with AI/ML models to anticipate equipment failures before they happen. Quality-of-Service (QoS) APIs ensure sensor data transmits over reliable network connections for timely, accurate analysis.

Dedicated network performance

Request dedicated network slices with guaranteed bandwidth and latency critical for robotics, AR/VR training, or autonomous vehicles on your factory floor.

Why network APIs matter to the manufacturing industry

For decision-makers, network APIs deliver a compelling value proposition—to do more with less while achieving significant return on investment. By integrating network capabilities directly into your digital ecosystems, you can improve operational efficiency, reduce manual work, and enhance service reliability while staying agile enough to respond to changing market demands.

This approach provides scalable and secure connectivity for your growing IoT footprint across factory floors, unlocking next-generation capabilities like predictive maintenance, autonomous operations, and real-time analytics.

The time for action is now. Manufacturers worldwide are already harnessing programmable network capabilities.

Private wireless deployments have already proven their popularity and success within manufacturing sites. Network APIs represent the logical next step: achieving similar network performance as your applications extend into hybrid private and public network situations.

Collaboration is key: Building a robust ecosystem

The success of network APIs in manufacturing depends on a robust ecosystem built through collaboration. Mobile network operators (MNOs), manufacturers, and software developers must work together to ensure interoperability, security, and scalability.

Open standards initiatives like GSMA Open Gateway and the open-source CAMARA project, and Nokia's Network as Code are accelerating this process by providing shared frameworks and reference implementations:

Aggregation: Connecting telecom network operators around the globe so manufacturers can write their application interfaces once, eliminating the need to forge individual relationships and integrations with multiple telecom operators.
Simplifying the network layer: Network APIs and their ecosystem partners are abstracting the underlying complexity of telecom networks by offering a simplified, developer-friendly experience. Instead of interacting directly with raw network APIs, developers can now leverage modular “network components” or “pre-fabricated modules” ready-to-use building blocks that integrate core network capabilities like authentication, quality-of-service, and location-intelligence capabilities.

These components seamlessly plug into applications, aligning with specific industry workflows and regulatory needs, whether it's manufacturing, finance, or logistics. They eliminate the need for deep telco integration expertise, allowing teams to focus on business logic and user experience.

These "reusable," "open-source," "API-based,” "app-building-blocks," and "components" further enhance this approach by providing a visual, low-code environment where these components can be composed, customized, and deployed rapidly.

This componentized model accelerates development, reduces time-to-market, and ensures consistency across solutions built on top of telco infrastructure.

Next steps for industry leaders: Getting started with network APIs

The time for action is now. Manufacturers worldwide are already harnessing programmable network capabilities, and the transition toward network-aware manufacturing systems represents a significant competitive advantage that future-proofs your operations.

Your path forward: Four practical steps

Start with a pilot project: Identify one area within your manufacturing operations where network APIs can deliver clear, measurable value, whether it's enhanced asset tracking or real-time quality control.

Assess your current position: Conduct a network assessment to understand your existing infrastructure and pinpoint exactly where network APIs can integrate most effectively.

Partner with experts: Who specialize in network API solutions specifically designed for manufacturing environments.

Expand your knowledge: Explore available resources like whitepapers, webinars, and developer portals to deepen your understanding of network API capabilities and proven best practices.

The bottom line

As the digital infrastructure of the industrial world evolves, network APIs are becoming essential tools for unlocking new efficiencies, innovations, and revenue streams in manufacturing. By integrating these APIs into your digital strategy, you are not just optimizing today's operations, you are positioning yourself for the smart factories of tomorrow.

The power of network APIs can drive your industrial transformation and deliver significant competitive advantage in the digital age. The question isn't whether this transformation will happen, it is whether you will lead it or follow it.

Carpe diem! Your competitive advantage awaits you.