The GSMA revealed that 47 mobile operator groups, representing 239 mobile networks and 65% of the world’s connections, have now signed up to the Open Gateway Initiative, designed to accelerate the growth of digital services and apps, unlock the full potential of 5G networks, commercialize network application programming interfaces (APIs) and enable seamless integration with hundreds of participating networks around the world.
According to a McKinsey study, network API initiatives could deliver significant value to the telecommunications industry and businesses using 5G networks over the next six years. If telecommunications operators can further expose their network APIs and innovations to the enterprise developer and cloud provider communities, it is predicted to create an additional $300 billion market opportunity by 2030.
The GSMA justified the initiative by stating that online fraud and cybercrime are among the biggest challenges facing online commerce, and that it will initially focus on tackling online crime, working with mobile operators and technology partners.
The GSMA Open Gateway Initiative is focused on garnering support from the global mobile operator industry in 2023 and helping members increase developer engagement in 2024. This will be achieved by focusing on three go-to-market commercial channels for the commercial launch of new services and open API adoption.
The GSMA noted that more than 40 mobile operator networks are commercially offering a total of 94 APIs to enterprise developers across 21 markets across Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, through technology partners and cloud providers such as Open Gateway, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Infobip, Microsoft, Nokia and Ericsson-owned Vonage.
“It’s been an exciting year for the GSMA Open Gateway and the mobile industry as we create a unified ecosystem and begin to unlock the full potential of 5G networks,” said Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA. “This has led to the birth of a new era of APIs.”
“Our joint job as we move into 2024 is to nurture and grow this opportunity, providing ubiquitous access to enterprise developers and cloud providers so they can do what they do best: launch groundbreaking new services that maximize the benefits of 5G networks.”
Recent activity in this area includes a successful trial by Nokia and Liberty Global in the port of Antwerp, Belgium, as part of an effort to deliver high-definition video streams to remote captains to help them navigate ships in congested areas. Deutsche Telekom, O2 Telefonica and Vodafone are testing the Quality on Demand API in collaboration with Siemens Energy. Siemens is using the API to perform virtually assisted remote maintenance using augmented reality, which requires consistently high network quality to enable widespread deployment even in places without stable connectivity.
AWS and Liberty Global announced a collaboration to create a Network as a Service (NaaS) framework that will enable developers to use and access Liberty Global’s fixed and mobile networks as a platform for innovation.
In his opening speech at MWC 2024, Telefonica Chairman José María Álvarez Paretto said the telecommunications industry is becoming an active co-creator of the new digital era.[The industry] “We have once again turned that vision into reality,” he said. “A year ago we shared our vision for the future of our industry and our field: a massive revolution coming from a new era, the Age of Earth Computing, where networks will be proactive and fluid.
“The future is already here. The future is happening. Great new products and services are already flowing through our networks. Collaboration embodies the power of what’s possible when we all come together. And that’s what the GSMA does. That’s the Open Gateway. And I’m proud to be a part of it. Vision and reality merge to create a new world of diversity, curiosity, intelligence, innovation, progress, sustainability, well-being and humanity. We are proud of what we’ve built.”
Ross Ortega, vice president of product management, Microsoft Azure for Operators, added: “Microsoft is a proud driver of the Open Gateway initiative, underscoring our commitment to making network programmability universally available to developers of connected applications.
“We believe standardization of networking functions and APIs is critical to making it easier for developers to understand and adopt these technologies. Azure Programmable Connectivity is at the forefront of this effort, aligning closely with the Open Gateway standard to pave the way for seamless integration and innovation.”
