CAMARA APIs: What telecom operators need to know

The telecom industry is sitting on one of its most underused assets – the intelligence already built into the mobile network. Mobile networks know things about their users that external systems can rarely match, whether a SIM is present in a specific device, where that device is, or whether a SIM swap happened. Years ago, that intelligence stayed locked inside the network. Developers and enterprises could not access it without signing individual agreements with each operator. Even if such access was provided, it would be proprietary to each network operator. Standardization was a distant promise.

CAMARA changed that. It created open, standardized telecom APIs for network capabilities that work across operators and markets.

CAMARA is an open-source project under the Linux Foundation. It was co-created with the GSMA Operator Platform Group and defines standardized APIs for accessing mobile network functions and capabilities. The project brings together operators, developers, and independent software vendors to align API requirements. The goal is simple: one integration that works consistently across all participating networks.

CAMARA powers the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, which gives operators a structured way to open their network capabilities commercially. So far, 86 mobile operator groups have joined, covering more than 300 mobile networks and 80% of global mobile connections.

For operators, the commercial case is clear. Telcos have invested nearly $1 trillion in 5G network infrastructure. CAMARA APIs turn that investment into a platform.

CAMARA APIs are standardized interfaces that expose network capabilities to applications. Think of them as a translation layer. A developer calls the API, the network does the work, and a clean, consistent response comes back, regardless of which operator the user is on. CAMARA APIs use a consent and authorization framework based on OpenID Connect (OIDC), an industry-standard protocol for secure, privacy-compliant API access.

Aggregators like Infobip sit between enterprises and the operator network. They handle connectivity, consent management, cross-operator routing, and both sides of the commercial relationships, bringing unique benefits to enterprises and MNOs alike. One integration with an aggregator gives enterprises access to CAMARA capabilities across multiple operators and markets.

When CAMARA APIs are combined with CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) capabilities, they unlock more than a security layer. The combination enables a new generation of integrated digital experiences that fragmented, operator-specific APIs could not deliver.

The result is a platform that delivers:

• Open innovation: Open Gateway gives developers access to tools that were previously out of reach due to lack of standardization and high effort to access MNO’s network-related data.

• Greater security and privacy: Standardized security protocols in CAMARA API, combined with CPaaS access controls, keep user data protected.

• Personalized enriched experiences: Developers can use network APIs to build applications that understand users’ needs and improve their daily lives.

• Faster and reliable services: 5G capabilities through CAMARA APIs enable ultra-low latency and high bandwidth, resulting in faster, more reliable services.

Read more about how network API capabilities strengthen security

Using CAMARA APIs to expose network capabilities changes how a telecom business operates. The benefits reach across the whole organization:

• Increased revenue streams: Offer network APIs to third-party developers and open new revenue streams through innovative services and applications.

• Improved user experience: Give customers more personalized, efficient, and user-friendly services, driving satisfaction and loyalty.

• Enhanced service offerings: Launch new services and features quickly to stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

• Cost savings: Automate processes, improve efficiency, and speed up service development and deployment.

• Monetization opportunities: You can monetize your network APIs by charging developers for access or by driving traffic to your own services.

• Increased market reach: Open your network infrastructure to reach new customer segments and grow your base.

• Collaboration and partnerships: Build partnerships with companies across the technology ecosystem, creating opportunities for shared growth and innovation.

These benefits become even clearer when you look at what network APIs make possible in practice.

Traditionally, telcos have focused on delivering network reliability. However, customers today, both consumers and businesses, are expecting more than just connectivity.

This telco to techco shift is particularly important in the enterprise space, where businesses require seamless integrations and security solutions that go beyond basic connectivity. By leveraging network APIs, telcos can open new revenue streams and stay relevant.

See how Deutsche Telekom is shaping customer experiences with network APIs

One of the biggest challenges telcos face is bridging the gap between traditional telecommunications infrastructure and modern software development. Telcos excel in building and managing networks but are not necessarily experts in software engineering. This is why partnerships with technology companies and developer communities matter.

Unlike traditional B2B or B2C customers who primarily purchase connectivity, developers require APIs that enable them to build innovative applications. By offering standardized APIs through platforms like CAMARA, telcos can provide easy access to network capabilities, reducing the need for workarounds and fragmented solutions.

CAMARA APIs are built around a unified standard and developer-friendly documentation, enabling a consistent integration path with no separate documentation, contracts, or integration work required for each operator.

Network APIs allow you to offer enterprises 5G capabilities such as low latency, high bandwidth, device location, and network quality controls. These capabilities support many use cases, including fraud prevention, seamless video communication, immersive digital experiences, and automation.

Examples include:

Support live broadcasting, video conferencing, remote inspections, and security monitoring with low latency and reliable connectivity.

Enable geotagging, location tracking, route optimization, fleet management, and location-aware customer experiences.

Connect devices and sensors to collect data, monitor operations, and automate processes across smart cities, healthcare, and agriculture.

Support immersive VR and AR experiences through fast data transmission and low-latency connectivity.

Strengthen security, reduce fraud, and help protect customer accounts and transactions.

Enable telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, connected medical devices, and faster access to healthcare data.

Support personalized shopping, inventory tracking, location-based offers, and better customer engagement.

That potential is already proven – in Brazil, Infobip partnered with Claro, TIM, and Vivo to deploy three CAMARA-compliant APIs under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative: Number Verifiy, SIM Swap, and Device Location. It was one of the first multi-operator Open Gateway deployments in Latin America. It confirmed that a single integration can reach network capabilities across multiple operators, without bilateral agreements for each market.

Network APIs are opening the door to a new generation of authentication: more advanced, more secure, and built natively on the mobile network. SIM-based Number Verification is one of the most promising candidates to become the next big thing in the network API world.

The case for change is clear. SMS OTP is vulnerable to delivery failures, fraud, and interception. SIM swap and traffic fraud continue to grow, which has pushed the industry towards stronger, user authentication methods.

CAMARA Number Verification supports two authentication methods: network-based and SIM-based.

Network-based number verification verifies a user’s phone number using their device’s active data session with the mobile network. The process needs little to no user interaction. Verification runs silently across the device application, the app backend, an aggregator when present, and the mobile network operator. It eliminates OTPs entirely – no code sent, no code to intercept. But it has limits. It only works when the device is on mobile data, not WiFi, and it is vulnerable to certain network-level attacks.

SIM-based number verification (also known as Phone Number Verification or Number Verification v2) goes further, and Infobip is actively working on bringing it to even more telco partners, and enterprises worldwide, with successful pilots already running with some of the world’s largest telecom operators. It uses SIM-based authentication. Instead of observing a network session, it cryptographically verifies that the SIM card is physically present in the device. That is the core shift between two authentication methods – from observation to cryptographic proof.

In practice, the user’s device confirms its SIM identity with the mobile network. The app’s backend sends that verification through an aggregator to the operator, which confirms the phone number. No code is sent. The user does nothing. The whole process runs in the background and works over both mobile data and Wi-Fi.

Enterprises want access to network capabilities, but connecting to hundreds of operators one by one is not practical. That is where Infobip comes in. With direct partnerships across 190+ countries and connections to 800+ operators globally, Infobip bridges enterprises and the mobile network. One integration gives enterprises access to CAMARA capabilities across multiple operators and markets – no separate agreements needed.

Infobip has been part of the CAMARA ecosystem from early on, as a connectivity provider, and as a partner helping operators turn their network into a business opportunity. Infobip is also listed by GSMA as a channel partner with the highest number of deployed network APIs. That includes helping operators operationalize network APIs within the Open Gateway framework, handling the complexity so they can focus on capturing the value.