The GSMA, which represents the interests of more than 750 mobile network operators worldwide, has launched GSMA Open Gateway — a standardized framework of network APIs designed to give developers consistent, secure access to operator capabilities. Backed initially by 21 mobile operators, the initiative aims to transform how telecoms deliver services in an API-driven economy by creating a common interface that developers and cloud providers can use globally.
GSMA Open Gateway has already begun to unify the industry around open APIs, with multiple demonstrations showcased at MWC Barcelona 2023. Highlights included an immersive concert experience from Axiata that used Device Location, Carrier Billing and Authentication APIs; a global live ‘jam session’ organized by the 5G Future Forum leveraging the Edge Site Selection API; and immersive gaming and high-definition video demonstrations by Orange, Telefónica, Vodafone and Ericsson/Vonage using the Quality on Demand (QoD) API. These showcases illustrate how standardized APIs can enable immersive experiences that scale across operators and applications.
The APIs that form GSMA Open Gateway are defined, developed and published through CAMARA, an open source project hosted by the Linux Foundation in collaboration with the GSMA. CAMARA provides developer-friendly tools and code to accelerate the delivery of APIs that expose telco network capabilities in a consistent, interoperable manner. This open approach helps telcos and developers adopt new capabilities more quickly and reliably.
José María Álvarez-Pallete López, GSMA board chairman and chairman & CEO of Telefónica, commented that GSMA Open Gateway will create single points of access to ultra-broadband networks and fuel the growth of immersive technologies and Web3 by enabling them to reach critical mass. He emphasized that federating open network APIs and adopting an interoperability model similar to roaming will integrate mobile operators and cloud services, unlocking new opportunities across the digital ecosystem.
Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA, described the initiative as an extension of the interconnection concept into the API economy. By enabling developers to use standardized APIs for services such as identity, cybersecurity and billing across multiple operators, the industry can design and deliver digital services at scale. Granryd compared GSMA Open Gateway’s potential impact to the 1987 agreement that harmonized mobile voice roaming, suggesting the initiative could have a similarly transformative effect for digital services.
The platform provides developers and cloud providers with unified access to operator networks through common, northbound service APIs. These APIs expose network capabilities in a consistent, interoperable and federated framework, reducing integration complexity and accelerating time to market for new services.
Industry partners highlighted the value of this approach. Ishwar Parulkar, chief technologist for the telco industry at AWS, noted that GSMA Open Gateway enriches the cloud developer experience by allowing AWS developers to combine cloud services with telco APIs, fostering new applications and business models that enable operators to monetize network capabilities. Erik Ekudden, CTO & SVP at Ericsson, said the QoD API demonstrated at MWC showed how GSMA Open Gateway APIs can scale across operators and app developers, positioning 5G as a central innovation platform for digital transformation. Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, confirmed Microsoft’s commitment to extend distributed cloud capabilities to the edge together with operator partners and bring GSMA Open Gateway to Microsoft Azure to empower developers and support operator monetization of 5G investments.
At launch, GSMA Open Gateway includes eight universal network APIs: SIM Swap, Quality on Demand (QoD), Device Status (connected or roaming), Number Verify, Edge Site Selection and Routing, Number Verification (SMS two-factor authentication), Carrier Billing – Check Out, and Device Location (Verify Location). The initiative plans to add more APIs throughout the year to address a broader set of use cases.
These APIs enable a wide range of services and industries. Edge Site Selection and Routing can support autonomous vehicles by optimizing compute and connectivity locations; Verify Location helps fleet management and incident reporting; SIM Swap detection aids financial crime prevention; and QoD enables advanced use cases for drones, robotics, extended reality (XR) and immersive online gaming. By exposing such capabilities consistently, GSMA Open Gateway makes it easier for developers to build reliable, operator-integrated applications.
Signatories to the GSMA Open Gateway Memorandum of Understanding include America Movil, AT&T, Axiata, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, e& Group, KDDI, KT, Liberty Global, MTN, Orange, Singtel, Swisscom, STC, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, TIM, Verizon and Vodafone. With broad operator support, the initiative aims to drive industry-wide interoperability and scale.
Over the next 12 months, GSMA Open Gateway will engage developers through Early Adopter Programs and promote its APIs through major developer events, including Microsoft Ignite and Build and AWS re:Invent. These programs and events are designed to accelerate adoption, gather developer feedback, and refine the APIs to meet real-world needs.
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