How programmable networks and APIs are transforming urban life

Picture a drone delivering critical medical supplies across town. When it enters a designated aerial corridor, the network detects it through geofencing APIs and automatically boosts its connectivity, bandwidth, and latency performance. This keeps live video and telemetry stable. It’s just one example of the promise of smart cities, powered by advanced mobile networks and innovative tools known as network APIs.

These APIs serve as universal keys that unlock the hidden potential of telecom networks, making urban living safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable for everyone.

The core link is clear: connectivity powers smart cities, but only programmable networks enable them to be truly intelligent. Cities today generate massive data from sensors, cameras, vehicles, and smartphones. Without reliable, flexible connectivity, that data remains unused. Programmable networks, enabled by initiatives such as the GSMA Open Gateway and the CAMARA project, transform ordinary mobile networks into app-friendly platforms. Developers can utilize simple APIs to access real-time network features, such as location data or bandwidth enhancements, without requiring telecom expertise. This programmability is essential because smart cities need instant, secure data sharing to react to real-world changes, from rush-hour crowds to sudden incidents.

Nokia's Network as Code platform exemplifies this approach, providing a developer portal with CAMARA-aligned APIs that simplify access across global networks. These standardized APIs, now supported by telecommunications service providers worldwide, are already driving powerful applications. Here are four keyways they make cities smarter.

Strengthening digital identity and preventing fraud

In a smart city, digital payments, e-government apps, and online services must be secure. Fraudsters often employ tactics such as SIM swapping to hijack a phone number, thereby stealing verification codes and gaining unauthorized access to accounts.

Network APIs such as SIM Swap detection and Number Verification fight back. Apps can check in real-time whether a SIM card has been recently changed or if the phone number truly matches the device on the network. For example, a bank can verify everything is normal before approving a large transfer. This creates an extra-strong security layer because only the telecommunications service provider knows the real device-number link.

A recent on-demand webinar, “Stopping Fraud in Its Tracks: How Network APIs Are Changing the Game,” demonstrates live how these APIs block attacks in milliseconds, dramatically reducing successful fraud attempts for banks and digital service providers.

The outcome is fewer fraud cases, smoother logins without risky SMS codes, and stronger public trust in digital services across the city.

Quality on Demand for high-performance needs

Not all internet traffic is equal. Social media can wait, but mission-critical services like high-resolution security cameras, Robo-taxis, delivery robots, or drones can’t afford delays. Even a brief disruption can lead to a blurry video feed, a stalled vehicle, or a real safety risk.

Smart cities increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge, where data is processed close to where it's generated—on devices or local network nodes—rather than sending everything to distant cloud servers. This enables split-second decisions for applications such as real-time video analytics on public cameras (detecting accidents or crimes instantly), predictive maintenance for infrastructure, or AI-guided traffic lights that adjust based on real-time conditions.

Edge AI reduces latency to milliseconds, saves bandwidth, enhances privacy (data remains local), and continues to function even if central connections fail. However, edge computing only reaches its full potential when combined with programmable networks.

This is where network APIs become the key ingredient:

Quality on Demand (QoD) APIs address this by allowing developers to request temporary premium network performance. A robo-taxi can get extra bandwidth for live video in heavy traffic. A delivery drone receives priority to stay connected during flight. Public cameras stream crystal-clear footage without interruption.

Nokia demonstrates this powerfully: In a collaboration with Deutsche Telekom, remote-controlled drones utilized QoD for reliable 5G connectivity, enabling real-time fleet tracking at high altitudes.

In smart cities, this enables autonomous vehicles and drones to be safe and practical for everyday use, ranging from faster deliveries to new mobility options.

Smart route planning with real-time network insights

Traffic jams waste time, fuel, and patience. Network APIs for Population Density Data provide anonymized, real-time views of how many people (and devices) are in each area.

City systems and navigation apps use this to reroute vehicles away from crowds, open extra bus lanes, or guide emergency services through clearer paths. During concerts or protests, the city adapts instantly. The result is less congestion, lower emissions, and happier residents.

Protecting children and elderly people

Family tracking apps become far more useful and battery-friendly with Device Location and Geofencing APIs. Parents set virtual boundaries around schools or parks; caregivers receive alerts if an elderly person with dementia wanders too far.

Because location checks happen mostly on the network side, phone batteries last much longer than with constant GPS. Privacy stays protected through consent and anonymization, giving peace of mind without constant surveillance.

Nokia's Device Location and geofencing capabilities shine here, combining with QoD for geo-fenced quality boosts. Examples include worker safety apps (extendable to elderly monitoring), triggering alerts, and partnerships like Innova with Orange for hazard detection—adaptable to vulnerable groups in smart cities.

The road ahead

In conclusion, and open APIs are democratizing telecom power. Developers, cities, and governments can now build innovative services quickly and at scale. From fraud-proof digital identities to drone deliveries and protective geofences, these tools turn connectivity into real solutions for urban challenges.

As more telecommunications service providers join GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA and platforms like Nokia's Network as Code expand with production-ready APIs, smart cities will become more responsive, sustainable, and human-centered than ever before.