How broadcasters and CSPs are testing whether Network APIs can turn best-effort 5G into an enterprise-ready service — and what it takes to make that commercially viable.
At IBC2026 in Amsterdam, a cross-industry group of broadcasters, mobile operators and technology companies came together around an important question: can Network APIs give broadcasters the control over public 5G connectivity they need for live production?
SliceFinity joined Network Control: Your Connection, Your Choice, part of the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, as one of the technology Participants helping put that question to the test.
The project addresses a challenge that goes beyond broadcasting. Network capabilities such as Quality on Demand (QoD) are increasingly available through standardised Network APIs. But proving that an API technically works is only part of the journey.
The bigger challenge is turning that capability into an enterprise-ready service that customers can understand, trust and ultimately pay for.
The problem the project is built around
Broadcasters have already demonstrated that 5G and network slicing can support demanding production workflows, from outside broadcasts to remote production. The challenge is making that connectivity predictable and controllable enough to use at scale.
Live production teams need to know that connectivity will be available when and where they need it — and that critical broadcast traffic can be prioritised when networks become congested.
Standardised Network APIs, including CAMARA APIs such as Quality on Demand, create the possibility of making connectivity programmable, predictable and prioritised, rather than simply relying on best-effort service. That is what the Network Control project is testing in practice.
Who’s involved
The project brings together an industry group of Champions including BBC, EBU, DAZN, France Télévisions, GSMA, RAI Italy, RTL Germany, TV2 Denmark, Vodafone, Telefónica and the University of Strathclyde, alongside technology Participants Haivision, LiveU, Neutral Wireless, SliceFinity and Vonage.
Proof-of-concept workflows have been developed around major sporting events in Germany and Spain, exploring how Network APIs can give broadcasters greater visibility and control over connectivity, including dynamically requesting prioritisation of broadcast traffic under congested network conditions.
The project was showcased live on IBC’s Future Tech Stage during IBC2026 in Amsterdam.
Where SliceFinity fits in
SliceFinity is contributing its platform to the programme’s connectivity scheduling and prioritisation trials, working alongside broadcasters, operators and fellow technology Participants.
Our focus is on what happens above the underlying network capability: the orchestration required to turn a Network API such as Quality on Demand into a service that can be scheduled, activated, monitored and consumed reliably as part of an enterprise workflow.
Because a Network API can work exactly as designed and still not be ready to become a commercial product.
For CSPs, the opportunity isn’t simply to expose more APIs. It’s to turn those capabilities into enterprise-ready services that customers can buy and use without needing to understand the underlying telecom technology.
Why this matters beyond broadcast
Broadcasting provides an ideal environment to test this because the requirement is immediate: when you’re producing a live event, connectivity has to perform when it matters. But the same principle applies elsewhere — from healthcare and transport to industrial operations, enterprise connectivity and other mission-critical environments.
The Network Control project is therefore testing something much bigger than a broadcast use case: how Network APIs can bridge the gap between technical network capabilities and services enterprises actually want to consume.
That is where we believe the next phase of Network API monetisation lies.
Network APIs are the enabler. The opportunity is turning them into differentiated services, better customer experiences and new revenue for CSPs.
We’ll be sharing more about what it takes to make Quality on Demand enterprise-ready in the coming weeks.
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SliceFinity is the platform that turns Network APIs into revenue — exposing, orchestrating and productising network capabilities into enterprise-ready services.
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