Standardized APIs from mobile operators have significant potential to enable innovative services and functionalities, as well as to enhance the customer experience across various industries. These APIs are not just tools but “an essential infrastructure for the next wave of digital transformation.” In fact, they are becoming products.
Open APIs act as the connective tissue between disparate systems, services, and partners, making telecommunications networks extensible and composable. Several analysts identify them as the major catalyst for innovation in the mobile ecosystem, as they, for example, facilitate seamless integration of 5G capabilities into external applications and platforms.
As telcos expose their network capabilities and the data they manage through APIs, integrators and aggregators can access network functions, including messaging, location services, and connectivity management. From there, they can develop cutting-edge, industry-specific solutions while always respecting privacy and current regulations. In other words, APIs enable developers to rapidly prototype, test, and deploy new applications and services. This is how new collaborative ,and open ecosystems begin to take shape.
Within this framework, APIs are establishing themselves as one of the foundations of the next wave of digital transformation, which requires the new generation of 5G wireless technology, alongside artificial intelligence and augmented reality.As one report suggests, “their potential goes far beyond simple data exchange:they are enabling new business models, driving innovation, and creating entire interconnected telecommunications service ecosystems.”
Use Cases
Among many use cases, these APIs streamline onboarding processes, enabling secure and seamless identity verification.They also have the potential to facilitate scoring and credit rating processes, as well as to generate truly consistent age verification instances.
But the scope of APIs does not stop there. There are multiple examples of services that can be built with these tools, such as:
Opportunities and Challenges
According to a Juniper Research study, global revenue from mobile identity API interfaces will reach $22 billion by 2029, compared to $2.4 billion in 2025. This significant growth over the next four years “will be driven by increased compatibility with network APIs that silently authenticate users through operator networks, rather than relying on SMS.”
However, for networkAPIs to position themselves as a cornerstone of broad innovation, several challenges remain ahead, ranging from security issues to the development of business models, monetization, ecosystem creation, and more. For example, according to an STL Partners survey, 55% of software developers do not associate networkAPIs with telecommunications network capabilities; instead, they link them to the management of broader IT and cloud networks, particularly with data exchange and communication between applications running on different networks.However, developers have a basic knowledge of the new network APIs developed through CAMARA and GSMA Open Gateway. When asked about the perceived value of different telecommunications API features, 54% of developers highlighted access to network performance information, such as latency and jitter, as the most popular option.
At Plusmo, we have been involved in these innovative developments from the beginning, launching a broad suite of identity protectionAPIs promoted through our Plusmo Protect business unit. These APIs strengthen authentication and protect users and companies against fraudulent activities.
