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.

MWC Las Vegas 2024, in partnership with CTIA, will gather the enterprise 5G ecosystem for three days of discussion, thought leadership and networking

MWC GSMA - Las Vegas 2024 event
MWC Las Vegas 2024, in partnership with CTIA, will unite the enterprise 5G ecosystem from October 8-10. Join CIOs, tech leaders, and industry experts as they explore the future of connectivity through discussions on AI Networks, 5G EdgeCloud, and more. Featuring summits on private networks, non-terrestrial networks, and industry 4.0, this event is a must-attend for those shaping the digital landscape.

Automating Port Logistics: Deutsche Telekom’s 5G Innovations

Automating Port Logistics: Deutsche Telekom's 5G Innovations
Deutsche Telekom, in collaboration with Volkswagen Group Logistics, BIBA, and Unikie, is revolutionizing port logistics at the Emden terminal through the "AutoLog" project. Utilizing 5G network APIs and an edge data center, the project aims to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability in automotive terminal operations, addressing challenges such as increasing vehicle volumes, skilled personnel shortages, and space limitations.

Generative AI: Telco-Tech Partnerships

Generative AI Telco-Tech Partnerships
Discover how generative AI is transforming the telecom industry through strategic partnerships between telcos and tech vendors. These collaborations embed AI at the core of operations, enhancing connectivity, operational efficiencies, and customer experiences. Stay informed about the latest developments and the impact of AI and Gen-driven innovations in telecommunications.

Orchestrating to $100 Billion, with Itential’s Chris Wade | Episode 32

Orchestrating to $100 Billion, with Itential's Chris Wade
Telcos are right to look to enterprise customers for near term growth. But that growth will see them selling new kinds of services, and is dependent on a new level of self-serviceability. In this episode Robert and Grant are joined by Itential CTO Chris Wade to discuss how the next big wave of digital services - an incremental revenue potential of $100B for telcos - can be enabled.

Connectivity in Financial Services: The Evolution is Underway

Connectivity in Financial Services: The Evolution is Underway
Few industries have been as fast and far-reaching as financial services in their response to the opportunities of the digital economy. Legacy connectivity models, once the cornerstone of the financial sector, now present challenges regarding speed, cost, flexibility, and security. The cracks are beginning to show. This article examines the role of Closed User Groups and the strategic shift that could disrupt banking operations.

Unveiling GTPu’s Role in 5G Networks

Unveiling GTPu's Role in 5G Networks
Dive into the comprehensive analysis of GTPu within 5G networks in our whitepaper, offering insights into its operational mechanics, strategic importance, and adaptation to the evolving landscape of cellular technologies.

A New Perspective on 5G with Donna Johnson of Cradlepoint

5G Talent Talk with Carrie Charles
Join Carrie Charles on this episode of 5G Talent Talk as she engages in an insightful conversation with Donna Johnson, the Chief Marketing Officer of Cradlepoint. Donna shares her remarkable journey to the C-suite, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and adaptability in career growth. As an expert storyteller, Donna eloquently narrates Cradlepoint's evolution from revolutionizing cellular connectivity to shaping the future of 5G enterprise solutions.Donna sheds light on emerging trends such as AI integration and cybersecurity, highlighting how these advancements complement the evolution of 5G technology. Additionally, she offers valuable insights into Cradlepoint's unique company culture, emphasizing collaboration and continuous learning.For listeners interested in exploring career opportunities, Donna provides valuable advice on navigating the ever-changing tech landscape. With Cradlepoint's commitment to innovation and Ericsson's global reach, listeners are encouraged to explore exciting career prospects in a dynamic and collaborative environment.

59. Saving Telco from Itself with Peter Bernard

5G Guys Podcast
This episode of the 5G Guys podcast tackles the existential challenges facing the telecommunications industry, emphasizing how sometimes, telcos are their own biggest adversaries due to their inherently conservative nature. Hosts Dan McVaugh and Wayne Smith welcome repeat guest Pete Bernard to discuss his new venture, Edgecelsior, and explore how the telco industry can evolve amidst the rapid technological changes spurred by new technologies like AI, 5G, and edge computing. Bernard shares insights from his career, the strategic pivot towards Edge and IoT technologies at Microsoft, and his decision to start Edgecelsior, focusing on industry analytics, content publishing, and strategic work for other companies.

5G-Driven Drone Food Delivery by Tele2 and Foodora

5G-Driven Drone Food Delivery by Tele2 and Foodora
Tele2 AB and foodora unveil foodora Air, leveraging 5G and IoT for drone-based food delivery. This eco-friendly service introduces electric drones for efficient deliveries, addressing challenges like traffic and carbon footprint. With Tele2's 5G, and drones from Aerit, foodora Air aims for faster, sustainable service in areas like Värmdö, showcasing the future of logistics.

GenAI in Telecom: Reimagining Customer Service and Network Security

GenAI in Telecom: Reimagining Customer Service and Network Security
This article delves into the role of Generative AI (GenAI) within the telecom industry. It highlights GenAI's capabilities in enhancing customer interactions, streamlining network operations, and fortifying security protocols.We uncover the extensive benefits and emerging applications of GenAI, underscoring its transformative potential in redefining telecom services and customer engagement.

Verizon Advances in Private 5G and Enterprise Connectivity

Verizon Advances in Private 5G and Enterprise Connectivity
In the dynamic field of telecommunications, Verizon Business, steered by Jennifer Artley and Arvin Singh, emerges as a frontrunner in the domain of private 5G networks and enterprise solutions. This initiative is set to redefine how businesses utilize private networks, incorporating cutting-edge IoT and edge computing to unlock new possibilities. The article provides an insightful analysis of Verizon's strategic endeavors in bolstering enterprise connectivity, facing challenges head-on, and setting new benchmarks for the industry.

SK Telecom’s AI Journey: Reinventing Telecommunications

SK Telecom's AI Journey - Reinventing Telecommunications
In an era marked by rapid technological evolution, SK Telecom (SKT) stands at the forefront, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to reinvent telecommunications. This transformative journey aims not only to enhance connectivity solutions but also to redefine customer experiences, illustrating the boundless potential of AI integration in setting new industry benchmarks.

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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