API

Network APIs expose telecom capabilities — such as quality of service, location, device status, and authentication — to developers and enterprises through standardized programmable interfaces. Industry initiatives including GSMA Open Gateway and the CAMARA project aim to make these capabilities consistent across operators, turning the network into a platform that applications can call directly. For operators, APIs represent a route to revenue beyond connectivity; for enterprises and developers, they offer programmable access to network features once locked inside carrier systems. Standards bodies including TM Forum and 3GPP continue to shape how these interfaces are defined and monetized. This channel tracks network API standards, operator and hyperscaler partnerships, monetization models, and real deployments, with analysis of where programmable networks are gaining commercial traction and where adoption still lags behind the ambition.

5G and 6 GHz Spectrum Use at the Heart of Upcoming APT Conference

5G and 6 GHz Spectrum Use at the Heart of Upcoming APT Conference
5G and 6 GHz Spectrum Use at the Heart of Upcoming APT Conference taking place next month in Brisbane. The meeting's main focus is to decide on the future use of the 6 GHz spectrum band for 5G services, setting the stage for a strategic and economical 5G rollout across Region 3 nations.

Cyprus’ Cablenet, enhances customer experience with Infovista’s service assurance

CYPRUS’ LEADING OPERATOR CABLENET ENHANCES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WITH INFOVISTA’S SERVICE ASSURANCE
Cyprus’ leading operator, Cablenet, enhances customer experience with Infovista’s service assurance. Deploys cloud-native Ativa Experience for optimization of customer experience end-to-end across its fixed and mobile networks.

T‑Mobile Powers New 5G‑Fueled Fan Experiences at MLB All‑Star Week

T‑Mobile Powers New 5G‑Fueled Fan Experiences at MLB All‑Star Week
MLB Next app delivering AR experience for fans at T-Mobile Park with 3D data visuals and live broadcast audio
5G camera feeds during the T-Mobile 5G BP show providing first-ever drone views of T-Mobile Home Run Derby batting practice
SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game featuring top Minor League prospects to test automated ball-strike system powered by T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced Network Solutions

Investor interest in Arrcus Grows as Hitachi Ventures is latest to join Series D

Arrcus, the hyperscale networking software company and a leader in core, 5G/edge and multi-cloud routing and switching, today announced a significant new investment from Hitachi Ventures, the venture arm of Hitachi, for an additional closing of its Series D. This new investment showcases growing investor interest in Arrcus from strategic and corporate venture groups. This infusion of capital will empower Arrcus to accelerate its growth, expand market reach, and continue delivering cost-effective and transformational networking solutions to customers worldwide.

India Nears Position as Top Two Global 5G Ecosystem: Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

INDIA NEARS POSITION AS TOP TWO GLOBAL 5G ECOSYSTEM: MINISTER ASHWINI VAISHNAW
India is on its way to becoming one of the top two global 5G ecosystems, following the rapid deployment of 270,000 5G sites, according to Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Communications, IT, and Railways. The Minister also emphasized the growing semiconductor sector and the government's 6G initiatives in collaboration with IIT Madras.

A Widening Divide: Select Committee Report Criticizes UK Government’s Digital Strategy

A Widening Divide: Select Committee Report Criticizes UK Government's Digital Strategy
The UK government's approach to bridging the digital divide has come under severe scrutiny in a report by the House of Lords committee. The report highlights the absence of a credible strategy for digital inclusion, leaving millions without necessary online access. The committee calls for a new inclusion strategy, encompassing policy changes and increased digital literacy education. The report emphasizes that without substantial action, the UK's ambition to become a technological superpower is threatened, undermining the nation's productivity, economic growth, and social inclusion.

The Telecom Workforce: Real Issues. Real Solutions. with Cesar Ruiz of Learning Alliance Corporation

5G Talent Talk with Carrie Charles
Nationwide broadband access initiatives face a significant challenge as the telecom industry grapples with a widening skills gap. The combination of an aging workforce and lack of interest among young people presents a formidable hurdle. however, the Learning Alliance Corporation is at the forefront, working diligently to bridge this gap.  On this episode of 5G Talent Talk, we're joined by the President and CEO of Learning Alliance Corporation, Cesar Ruiz, to discuss how workforce development programs are reshaping the telecommunications industry. Offering innovative, hands-on training courses and structured apprenticeship programs, Learning Alliance Corporation is bringing new talent to telecom through education. 

5G Rollout in India: A Catalyst for Job Creation and Skill Enhancement

India's 5G Boom: 22 Million Skilled Workers Needed by 2025
Explore how the rollout of 5G technology is set to supercharge India's economic growth and create vast job opportunities. Learn about the importance of upskilling in this new era, the sectors most likely to benefit, and the anticipated impact on job creation.

Satellites Transforming Connectivity in Rural America: Expanding Internet Access and Advancing Agriculture

Satellites Transforming Connectivity in Rural America Expanding Internet Access and Advancing Agriculture
Satellite technology is reshaping rural agriculture by providing robust connectivity and innovative solutions. SIA President Tom Stroup highlighted this transformative impact in his recent testimony before the House Committee on Agriculture.

Episode 15 – Rethinking Innovation

Appledore Podcast
Is it time for telcos to rethink the very nature of innovation, in the era of cloud and APIs?

Deutsche Bahn Leads Consortium to Revolutionize Connectivity with 5G Along Train Routes

Nokia gets private 5G ticket on Paris Express – four lines, 68 stations, 200km of track
Deutsche Bahn, Ericsson, O2 Telefónica, and Vantage Towers partner to develop 5G infrastructure along train routes in Germany. With state funding, this project marks a pivotal step towards seamless mobile connectivity for railway passengers and forms part of the government's broader gigabit strategy.

Key Telecom Trends to Watch with Dan Hays of PwC

5G Talent Talk with Carrie Charles
Join Carrie Charles as she engages in an in-depth discussion with Dan Hays, Principal at PwC, to explore the dynamic world of telecom. In this episode, they investigate prominent opportunities for growth and how PwC collaborates with companies to capitalize on them. Prepare to uncover Dan's perceptive insights on current trends and pressing topics in the telecom sector, such as narrowing the digital divide within the economy. Stay informed with valuable updates on the current state of the telecom industry, with a particular emphasis on the successful integration of the CBRS technology spectrum. As their conversation unfolds, they also analyze the pivotal role of China in the telecom supply chain and the potential risks faced by the industry. Brace yourself for a deep dive into the latest telecom trends and gain a comprehensive understanding of this ever-evolving landscape. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GSMA Open Gateway, and why was it created?
GSMA Open Gateway is an industry-wide initiative, backed by the GSMA, the trade body representing mobile operators globally, and dozens of major carriers, designed to standardize network APIs across operators and countries. Before this initiative, a company wanting to use a SIM swap detection API to prevent account-takeover fraud would typically need separate technical integrations and commercial agreements with every carrier in every market it operated in, an approach that didn’t scale well for global digital businesses like banks or ride-sharing platforms. Open Gateway defines a common technical specification for these APIs so a single integration works consistently across participating operators worldwide, dramatically reducing the engineering and business development overhead for any company wanting to build services on top of carrier network data.
Why do telecom companies want to expose network APIs to outside developers?
Exposing network APIs gives carriers a new revenue stream that doesn’t depend on selling more raw data or voice minutes, an increasingly commoditized, low-margin business. Instead, operators can charge for premium, differentiated capabilities, like verified caller identity for fraud prevention, real-time network quality guarantees for a specific application, or device location data for logistics and delivery tracking, turning the network itself into a monetizable platform. This mirrors a broader strategic shift across the industry, often summarized as moving from selling bandwidth to selling outcomes, where operators position themselves as infrastructure partners for other industries’ digital products rather than purely as connectivity providers competing on price. It also opens partnerships with software companies that wouldn’t otherwise have a direct commercial relationship with an operator at all.
What are some real-world examples of telecom network APIs in use today?
Some of the most established use cases include number verification, used heavily by banking and fintech apps to confirm a user genuinely controls the phone number tied to their account before allowing a transaction; SIM swap detection, which flags when a phone number has recently been transferred to a new SIM, a common signal of an account-takeover attempt; and location APIs, used by logistics and delivery companies for real-time tracking, or by other services for geofencing-based features. Newer, more specialized examples are emerging too, including quality-on-demand APIs that let an application request guaranteed network performance for a specific session, useful for video calls or cloud gaming, effectively giving developers programmatic access to capabilities like network slicing without negotiating a direct deal with the underlying carrier.
How do network APIs relate to network slicing and monetization?
Network slicing creates the actual underlying capability, a dedicated, performance-guaranteed virtual network for a specific purpose, while network APIs are often the mechanism by which a third-party developer actually requests and uses that capability programmatically, without needing to understand or manage the underlying slicing infrastructure directly. A quality-on-demand API, for example, might let a video conferencing app request guaranteed low latency for an important call, with that request fulfilled behind the scenes by the operator’s slicing infrastructure. This pairing is central to how operators are trying to monetize their 5G Standalone investments: slicing creates differentiated network capabilities, and APIs are the commercial and technical interface that makes those capabilities accessible and billable to outside developers.
What’s stopping network APIs from being adopted faster?
Adoption has been slower than initial industry enthusiasm suggested, for a few recurring reasons. Developers building global products need consistent behavior across operators and countries, and while standardization initiatives like Open Gateway aim to solve this, achieving true consistency across dozens of carriers, each with their own legacy systems and commercial priorities, takes time. There’s also a chicken-and-egg dynamic: developers are hesitant to build products around APIs that aren’t yet universally available, while operators are cautious about investing heavily in API infrastructure without proven developer demand. Pricing adds another layer of friction, since operators are still experimenting with how to price access in a way that’s attractive to developers while still generating meaningful revenue relative to infrastructure cost.
Who are the typical customers building on top of telecom network APIs?
Customers span a range of industries, but financial services and fraud prevention have been the earliest and most consistent adopters, using number verification and SIM swap detection to reduce account-takeover and transaction fraud. Logistics, delivery, and ride-sharing companies are major users of location-based APIs for real-time tracking and route optimization. Gaming and entertainment companies are increasingly interested in quality-on-demand APIs to guarantee performance for latency-sensitive applications like cloud gaming. Beyond individual companies, aggregator platforms have emerged specifically to combine APIs from multiple operators into a single access point, letting developers integrate once and reach users across many carriers and countries without managing separate relationships with each one.
Are network APIs secure, and who controls access to sensitive data like location?
Security and access control are central design considerations for network APIs, given the sensitive nature of data like location or SIM status. Access is generally tightly controlled through authentication and authorization systems, and most operators only expose specific, limited capabilities through these APIs rather than raw access to underlying network or subscriber data. Consent mechanisms are also typically built in, particularly for anything involving an individual’s location or personal data, often requiring an explicit user opt-in before that data can be shared with a third-party application. This remains an evolving area, and as more operators expose more capabilities through these interfaces, regulators and privacy advocates are paying closer attention to how consent is obtained across different countries with different privacy law standards.

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