Aduna closes API deal with NTT Docomo, continues APAC expansion

• The deal will see the Japanese operator add its APIs to Aduna’s platform
• Fraud is identified as key issue, while the partnership will open new markets for NTT Docomo
• Aduna continues the expansion of its Asian telco roster

NTT Docomo has completed a partnership agreement with Aduna to distribute the Japanese operator’s network application programming interfaces (APIs) across international markets.

The deal was first announced in June 2025 (as reported here), with the two firms collaborating to expand network API-based services through Aduna’s aggregation model. This agreement will see Docomo’s APIs made available for enterprises and developers worldwide on the Aduna platform.

The partnership aims to support fraud prevention strategies, such as Number Verification and SIM Swap detection to help enterprises protect customers, while opening up additional routes for Docomo to reach new customer segments across global markets.

Nobuko Hiraguchi, senior VP and general manager of the Core Network Design Department at NTT Docomo, commented: “By making NTT Docomo network APIs – developed in alignment with global standards – available through Aduna’s global platform, we are confident that this collaboration will help create new value that enhances the safety and comfort of each customer’s daily life. NTT Docomo will continue to advance technical development, including network APIs, to deliver even greater value to society and our customers.”

Aduna is the API joint venture formed by a dozen telcos and Ericsson that became a formal company at the end of July 2025. It has struck partnerships with a number of firms. When the initial agreement with Docomo was announced in June, Aduna noted it had also signed up fellow Japanese operator SoftBank Corp, while Japan’s other main infrastructure-based operator, KDDI, is one of the founding members of the collaboration.

Other Asian and Asia Pacific operators to have recently signed agreements with Aduna include Ooredoo (a Qatar-based telco with operations in Asia as well as Africa and the Middle East), New Zealand’s Spark, SK Telecom and Maxis, as the alliance continues to grow its exposure in the region.

Anthony Bartolo, CEO of Aduna, commented: “Aduna was founded to help telecom operators, such as Docomo, transform standardisation into real commercial value. By linking Docomo advanced network APIs to a global distribution platform, we enable enterprises worldwide to innovate more quickly, securely and at scale.

“This partnership strengthens Aduna’s presence across the Asia region and reflects our shared commitment to accelerating the growth of the global network API economy,” he added.

It comes as APIs look set to be one of the big trends at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. To find out more about how telcos are hoping to monetise network APIs, check out this discussion at The Great Telco Debate.

- James Pearce, Editor, TelecomTV