Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone will open their mobile networks to developers around the world, allowing the creation of more secure digital services
Madrid, February 6, 2024: The main Spanish mobile operators, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone, today announced the launch of two new services designed to help developers combat online fraud and protect the digital identities of mobile customers.
As part of the global GSMA Open Gateway initiative, operators have announced the launch of two API (Application Programmable Interface) network services focused on improving digital security: Number Verification and SIM Swap. These APIs will enable developer and partner teams to create new intelligent layers of customer authentication, verification and security within mobile networks. This will help businesses, such as financial institutions and online retailers, address identity fraud by improving user authentication and improving security.
These new services will be available at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, from February 26 to 29.
The latest figures from Spain's Interior Minister show that reported cases of cybercrime increased by 72% in 2022 compared to 2019, and almost 90% of them were related to online fraud. Cybercrime currently accounts for around a fifth of all recorded crimes in the country.
Launched a year ago at MWC Barcelona, the GSMA Open Gateway initiative represents a paradigm shift in the way the global telecommunications industry designs and brings to market new mobile applications and digital, immersive services. The new Number Verification and SIM Change services will also make online authentication simpler and faster for online customers, as mobile applications, cloud services and connectivity networks will be accessible through the APIs.
GSMA Open Gateway is a common, open framework between operators to make it easier for developers and cloud providers to build more secure applications and services that communicate seamlessly with each other. This is done through unique, programmable access points to mobile networks known as APIs. From Argentina to China, from the US to Australia, 42 mobile operator groups around the world, representing 237 mobile networks and 65% of global connections, are already part of the initiative.
The two online verification and anti-fraud APIs that Spanish operators will introduce are:
- Number verification– Will be used to verify a user's mobile number providing the next generation of strong authentication and user experience. It's a simple evolution path for any business using mobile numbers and SMS one-time passwords. Instead of relying on SMS, number verification can be activated automatically and seamlessly to verify a user's identity. This not only improves the user experience but also mitigates potential issues such as users not receiving an SMS or facing difficulties due to limited familiarity with the technology.
- SIM swap: Used to check if a given phone number has recently changed SIM cards. This helps mitigate account takeover attacks, where fraudsters take control of the account owner's SIM card using social engineering techniques and stolen personal data. For example, at the time of a financial transaction, a financial institution can check whether the relationship between the customer's phone number and SIM card has recently changed, which helps it decide whether to approve the transaction or not.
Juan Reyero Montes, Director of Enterprise Marketing at Orange Spain, commented: “The launch of these two new APIs in the Spanish market, which address key use cases around fraud, aptly demonstrates the value that Orange and our partner operators can bring. , using the capabilities of our network. to improve transaction security while improving user experience for customers through seamless authentication.
“Furthermore, this represents an important step for Orange on the path to delivering on the Open Gateway promise of simple, developer-friendly APIs with initial commercial availability at this scale. Orange has been one of the first to support and contribute to CAMARA and Open Gateway. Developers can interact with Orange and test all new APIs through the Orange developer portal to explore new use cases by leveraging the capabilities of the network and bringing innovation to the end user.”
Javier Pascual Izquierdo, Director of Marketing, Presales and B2B Deployment of Telefónica de España, stated: “Open Gateway is an important innovation in the telecommunications sector, which allows the transformation of communication networks into programmable digital platforms through global APIs and standardized. Operators want to create an increasingly secure environment that benefits the entire Spanish society, from startups to large companies. “Telefónica is confident that Open Gateway will be an essential tool for the digital revolution and that it will have special potential for identity validation and fraud prevention.”
Johanna Wood, head of developer strategy at Vodafone Group, said: “Developers play a key role in accelerating innovative digital services within a scaled ecosystem between network operators and enterprises. “Vodafone is excited to be part of the Open Gateway initiative, which is an important step forward in making these services more accessible by promoting open standards in the developer community.”
Mats Granryd, CEO of GSMA, said: “It is fantastic to see the Spanish mobile industry unite behind the Open Gateway initiative to help businesses and developers deliver better digital experiences over 5G networks. In addition to the benefits this offers to customers, society and the Spanish economy, this initiative also gives Spanish companies the opportunity to extend digital services to other mobile markets around the world.”
The Spanish mobile industry hopes that today's announcement will accelerate the growth of digital applications and services, ensuring that they integrate seamlessly with national mobile networks, as well as hundreds of others around the world. As part of the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, these APIs will be federated locally and globally, meaning that in addition to mobile customers in Spain, developers will also be able to reach new customers outside of Spain as the initiative grows. Through the global initiative, companies and developers can also access new markets with their services, allowing them to earn new revenue by marketing them around the world.
Spain's GSMA Open Gateway ecosystem will be improved in 2024. With partners such as Microsoft, Vonage and Infobip, the first CAMARA APIs will be available later this year. GSMA Open Gateway APIs are defined, developed and published in CAMARA, the open source project for developers to access enhanced networking capabilities, powered by the Linux Foundation, in partnership with TM Forum.
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Notes to editors:
About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization that unifies the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver critical innovation for positive business environments and social change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA offers its members three broad pillars: connectivity for good, industry services and solutions, and outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, addressing today's biggest societal challenges, supporting the technology and interoperability that make mobile devices work, and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
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