The mobile industry body says a total of 47 mobile operator groups, representing 239 mobile networks have now signed up for its Open Gateway initiative.
First launched last year at Mobile World Congress 2023, the Open Gateway initiative is designed to help provide universal access to operator networks for developers through the use of APIs.
APIs or Application Programmable Interfaces are a set of definitions and protocols for building and integrating software. It allows different software products to communicate with each other seamlessly.
The GSMA says more than 40 mobile operator networks have now made 94 APIs commercially available to enterprise developers in 21 markets across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
Security and authentication-related APIs appear to be the most popular. Several security-related APIs have been launched in the past year, including an initiative by three German operators who have developed APIs to help app developers and enterprises tackle online fraud and protect the digital identities of mobile customers.
The GSMA says API initiatives like the Open Gateway will create monetisation opportunities for operators. It cites a McKinsey report which forecasts that APIs could represent a $300bn market opportunity for mobile operators by 2030.
