Nokia signed-up Iliad Group’s French business Free to its network-as-a-code API platform, a move promoted as easing the process for developers and companies to tap the operator’s advanced network capabilities.

Free joins more that 60 partners using the platform, Nokia noted, which supports a “growing number of use cases spanning several industries, including banking, healthcare, automotive and entertainment”.

The platform provides a single interface for developers and enterprises to access capabilities across a number of operators. The vendor added it drew “inspiration from industry initiatives like GSMA Open Gateway and the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA project”.

Free CEO Nicolas Thomas said the partnership with Nokia “helps us foster an environment where new APIs and services are being created to benefit our partners, customers and society at large”.

Supporting applications by providing access to network APIs has been a major industry drive in recent years, with the GSMA’s initiative drawing broad industry support since being launched at MWC23 Barcelona.

In 2024, a group of leading mobile operators joined forces with Nokia rival Ericsson to form Aduna, a company tasked with coordinating API efforts led by the Swedish vendor.