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.

Connected Industries: The Future of Smart Mobility with 5G, AI, and Intelligent Transport

Connected Industries: The Future of Smart Mobility with 5G, AI, and Intelligent Transport
Smart mobility is reshaping how the world moves, powered by 5G, AI, and edge computing. From autonomous vehicles and real-time logistics to AI-driven drones and connected public transport, intelligent transportation systems are redefining urban mobility, logistics, and industrial automation. As global investment and collaboration grow, the transportation industry is transforming into a $11.1 trillion smart ecosystem focused on sustainability, efficiency, and connectivity.

CAMARA Spring25 Meta-Release: Enhancing Telco API Interoperability

CAMARA Delivers First Major Release with Advanced APIs for Seamless Network Access
CAMARA, under the Linux Foundation, launched its Spring25 Meta-Release, introducing 13 new and 23 updated APIs. This release enhances telecom operations with improved security, notifications, and error handling, supporting global telecom standards and fostering innovation.

IoT Convergence: Building Seamless, Scalable Connectivity Across Networks

IoT Convergence: Building Seamless, Scalable Connectivity Across Networks
Connectivity convergence is redefining the Internet of Things by integrating legacy systems, cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN, BLE, and satellite networks. From agriculture to logistics, IoT ecosystems are evolving to prioritize seamless communication, modular hardware, and intelligent data handling with edge AI. This article explores how convergence is shifting the focus from hype to practical, scalable deployment—unlocking the true potential of IoT everywhere.

Digital-First Growth Strategies for Telecom CSPs

Digital-First Growth Strategies for Telecom CSPs
Telecom Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are embracing a digital-first strategy to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. This article outlines how CSPs are integrating AI for operational efficiency, shifting towards personalized customer experiences, building scalable monetization strategies, and overcoming legacy challenges to drive long-term digital transformation and enterprise value.

Telcos to Techcos: How AI & 5G Are Transforming Telecom

Telcos to Techcos: How AI & 5G Are Transforming Telecom
The telecom industry is in the midst of a major shift from “telco” to “techco”, with operators investing in AI, 5G, cloud computing, and digital services to compete with tech giants like Amazon and Google. At MWC 2025, leaders from e&, KDDI, MTN, and SK Telecom discussed their AI-driven strategies, including self-healing networks, smart city infrastructure, fintech expansion, and enterprise 5G solutions. As telcos embrace AI-powered automation and cloud-based innovations, they are redefining their role in the digital economy.

MWC 2025 Keynote 2: Beyond Connectivity; The Telco to Techno Transformation

MWC 2025 Keynote 2: Beyond Connectivity; The Telco to Techno Transformation
The telecom industry is undergoing a major transformation. With AI, cloud computing, and 5G SA driving innovation, operators are shifting from traditional connectivity providers to tech-first companies. The Telco-to-Techco transformation is redefining business models, creating new revenue streams, and enhancing digital services. At MWC 2025, industry leaders from MTN, e&, and GSMA will discuss how telcos can navigate this shift and unlock new opportunities in the digital economy.

MWC 2025 Keynote 1: The Gateway to a New Future – Open APIs & 5G Evolution

MWC 2025 Keynote 1: The Gateway to a New Future - Open APIs & 5G Evolution
As the digital world evolves, connectivity is reshaping industries through API-driven telecom solutions. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative is pioneering this shift by enabling seamless integration between telecom operators, developers, and enterprises. With 5G expected to power 1.2 billion connections by 2025, Open Gateway’s standardized APIs are fostering innovation in smart cities, fintech, logistics, and more. Join us at MWC25 Barcelona to explore the future of telecom connectivity.

GSMA Experts highlight major tech developments in 2024 and what they are expecting in 2025

GSMA Experts highlight major tech developments in 2024 and what they are expecting in 2025
In 2025, the mobile industry is set to surpass 1 billion IoT connections while advancing 5G standalone, AI, quantum security, and mobile identity services. At MWC25 Barcelona, GSMA experts will discuss eSIM standardization, network APIs, private 5G, and AI-powered security. Discover how non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and post-quantum cryptography will shape telecom's future.

Hrvatski Telekom and Nokia Boost 5G App Development in Croatia

Hrvatski Telekom and Nokia Boost 5G App Development in Croatia
Hrvatski Telekom and Nokia have launched API pilot projects to accelerate 5G application development in Croatia. Using Nokia's Network as Code platform, the collaboration provides developers with streamlined access to HT's 5G network, enabling faster, innovative app creation across industries. This initiative strengthens Nokia’s API ecosystem, adding partners like Infobip and Elmo to unlock new use cases in real-time communication, teledriving, and beyond, setting a new standard for 5G-powered applications.

Singtel and Ericsson Launch Network-as-a-Service for Telcos and Enterprises

Singtel and Ericsson Partner to Simplify Network-as-a-Service for Telcos
Singtel and Ericsson have partnered to launch an enhanced Network-as-a-Service solution aimed at streamlining network provisioning and service management for telcos and enterprises. By integrating Singtel’s Paragon platform with Ericsson’s Service Orchestration and Assurance, this collaboration offers a fully automated, API-enabled platform that accelerates the rollout of 5G and edge services, enabling CSPs to monetize new opportunities while improving service quality.

Vida Integrates OpenAI Real-Time API to Voice AI with Emotionally Expressive Conversations

Vida Integrates OpenAI Real-Time API to Voice AI with Emotionally Expressive Conversations
Vida has integrated OpenAI's Real-Time API into its AI voice agents, allowing them to deliver emotionally expressive, multilingual conversations in real-time. This advancement is setting new industry standards by offering human-like tone modulation and responsiveness, transforming customer interactions into engaging, personalized experiences for global businesses. Vida’s AI platform also supports ultra-low latency, ensuring seamless communication and expanding its Partner Program for telecom resellers.

CAMARA Delivers First Major Release with Advanced APIs for Seamless Network Access

CAMARA Delivers First Major Release with Advanced APIs for Seamless Network Access

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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