Industry throws weight behind GSMA API initiative | CAMARA Alliance

The GSMA announced a new industry-wide initiative called GSMA Open Gateway, a framework of universal network Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs), designed to provide universal access to operator networks for developers. Launched with the support of 21 mobile network operators, the move is aimed at changing the way the telecoms industry designs and delivers services in an API economy world.
Industry throws weight behind GSMA API initiative - CAMARA Alliance - MWC 2023
Image Source: GSMA and MWC 2023

The GSMA announced a new industry-wide initiative called GSMA Open Gateway, a framework of universal network Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs), designed to provide universal access to operator networks for developers.


Launched with the support of 21 mobile network operators, the move is aimed at changing the way the telecoms industry designs and delivers services in an API economy world.

Signatories to the GSMA Open Gateway Memorandum of Understanding are America Movil, AT&T, Axiata, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, e& Group, KDDI, KT, Liberty Global, MTN, Orange, Singtel, Swisscom, STC, Telefรณnica, Telenor, Telstra, TIM, Verizon, and Vodafone.

Mats Granryd (pictured), Director General of GSMA, indicated that the GSMA Open Gateway has the potential to harmonize digital services in a way that resembles how standardization efforts in the 1980s enabled mobile voice roaming.

โ€œBy applying the concept of interconnection for operators to the API economy, developers can utilise technology once, for services such as identity, cybersecurity or billing, but with the potential to be integrated with every operator worldwide. This is a profound change in the way we design and deliver services,โ€ Granryd commented.

Network APIs

Eight universal network APIs, are available at launch, including SIM Swap, Quality on Demand (QoD), Device Status (Connected or Roaming Status), Number Verify, Edge Site Selection and Routing, Number Verification (SMS 2FA), Carrier Billing โ€“ Check Out and Device Location (Verify Location).

Further APIs are expected to be launched throughout 2023. The APIs are defined, developed and published in CAMARA, the open-source project for developers that is driven by the Linux Foundation in collaboration with the GSMA.

To illustrate a potential application of the QoD API, Henry Calvert, Head of Networks at GSMA, provided the example of a virtual music concert where musicians are based in different locations.

โ€œFor both the consumers and the artist, or the fans and the artists, we are offering to be able to increase the quality of their connectivity,โ€ Calvert said in an interview with Mobile World Live. โ€œYou need low latency in the communications link.โ€ย Calvert added: โ€œWeโ€™re trying to enable those network capabilities consistently from every operator thatโ€™s providing connectivity, so thereโ€™s a standard northbound to the developers, and the content production houses that are producing these events โ€ฆ weโ€™re trying to standardise that northbound to ensure that there is that consistency.โ€

Demos

A number of GSMA Open Gateway demonstrations are taking place during MWC23 Barcelona, including an immersive music concert showcased by Axiata on the GSMA Pavilion.

In addition, the 5G Future Forum (5GFF) will enable musicians from all over the world to jam over the 5G networks of Rogers, Verizon and Vodafone, while KDDI, Telefรณnica, Mawari and Sturfee will showcase online shopping with the XR Digital Twin Store. Elsewhere, Deutsche Telekom is demonstrating applications of APIs, including QoD, alongside Matsuko and Orange.

Source: Mobile World Live


Recent Content

Vodafone is expanding its role in the UK smart metering upgrade by providing fixed-line connectivity between energy suppliers and the Data Service Platform (DSP). This move complements its existing mobile network role and positions Vodafone as a critical telecom partner in the UK’s digital energy transition, helping to advance national net-zero and smart grid goals.
As AI workloads explode in complexity and scale, telecom providers face a $1B+ opportunity to evolve from traditional carriers into AI connectivity enablers. This article explores how telcos can monetize AI-driven traffic through dynamic network infrastructure, edge AI hosting, and cloud-like billing models tailored to modern enterprise demands.
Connecting the unconnected requires more than just broadband buildout. National digital inclusion strategies focus on affordability, digital skills, devices, and sustainable infrastructure to empower all communities. Learn how federal programs, state initiatives, and public-private partnerships are reshaping broadband access across America.
The fiber, data center, and telecom sectors are evolving rapidly amid rising AI workloads, cloud expansion, edge computing, and new investment models. This article breaks down the key trends โ€” from fiber deployments in rural markets to secondary data center expansions and telecoms shifting to platform-based services, that are reshaping digital infrastructure for a hyperconnected future.
Whitepaper
Telecom networks are facing unprecedented complexity with 5G, IoT, and cloud services. Traditional service assurance methods are becoming obsolete, making AI-driven, real-time analytics essential for competitive advantage. This independent industry whitepaper explores how DPUs, GPUs, and Generative AI (GenAI) are enabling predictive automation, reducing operational costs, and improving service quality....
Whitepaper
Explore the collaboration between Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University, Ericsson, and Saab at the Aviation Innovation Hub. Discover how private 5G networks, real-time analytics, and sustainable innovations are shaping the "Airport of the Future" for a smarter, safer, and greener aviation industry....
Article & Insights
This article explores the deployment of 5G NR Transparent Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), detailing the architecture's advantages and challenges. It highlights how this "bent-pipe" NTN approach integrates ground-based gNodeB components with NGSO satellite constellations to expand global connectivity. Key challenges like moving beam management, interference mitigation, and latency are discussed, underscoring...

Download Magazine

With Subscription

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Scroll to Top