GSMA Open Gateway 2025: Global API Adoption & Insights
GSMA Intelligence has unveiled its latest Open Gateway State of the Market report, providing a comprehensive overview of progress in operator engagement and commercial implementation through the first half of 2025. The report delivers valuable insights for telecommunications professionals, highlighting global trends, regional momentum and emerging opportunities within the API ecosystem.
Unprecedented global coverage
According to the report, the GSMA Open Gateway initiative now covers an impressive 79% of the global mobile market share, reflecting a 3% increase since December 2024. In total, 73 operator groups representing 285 networks worldwide have committed to the programme. As GSMA Intelligence notes, “Growth has stabilised as the focus has now shifted to monetisation of the API ecosystem.”
The widespread adoption demonstrates the industry’s collective commitment to fostering open, standardised network APIs, enabling new commercial models and innovative services across the telecommunications landscape.
Regional leaders: Southeast Asia and Europe
The report identifies Southeast Asia and Europe as regions demonstrating the strongest uptake of Open Gateway. Recent additions such as Mobifone, Viettel and VNPT in Vietnam further solidified Southeast Asia’s leadership position. European operators continue to drive adoption, reinforcing the region’s reputation for digital innovation and collaborative industry initiatives.
Diversification of API use cases
While security and anti-fraud APIs remain dominant, accounting for two-thirds of commercial deployments (down from over 80% in 2024), the market is witnessing a notable shift. Quality-on-demand APIs have gained traction, now representing 25% of new launches, up from less than 10% in 2024.
The report states, “Diversification is on the agenda,” signalling that operators are actively responding to enterprise demand for a broader range of network capabilities.
Channel partner ecosystem expands
A significant development in H1 2025 is the surge in the number of channel partners. Fifteen new channel partners joined the ecosystem, bringing the total to 43 companies. The aggregators play a pivotal role in “bridging the gap between operator APIs and enterprise demand at scale.”
Their involvement enhances market-making capabilities and accelerates the commercialisation of network APIs, creating new revenue streams for operators and partners alike.
Untapped potential in mobile payments
Despite strong interest from developers and enterprises, APIs for mobile payments and charging, such as operator billing for pay-TV or public transportation, account for only 1% of commercially available APIs. The report highlights this as a “major payments opportunity untapped,” urging mobile network operators (MNOs) to address the gap and capitalise on the significant demand for these services.
Recent commercial launches
The report spotlights several high-profile launches that exemplify the potential of Open Gateway APIs:
- Telefónica and Nokia: At MWC 2025, Telefónica and Nokia showcased autonomous drone technology powered by 5G and Open Gateway APIs, demonstrating three real-world use cases.
- CelcomDigi and Aduna: These partners have developed enhanced network API solutions, including Number Verification and SIM Swap services, to bolster fraud mitigation for Malaysian enterprises.
For telecommunications professionals, the GSMA Open Gateway initiative represents a transformative opportunity to shape the future of network services, unlock new commercial models and address evolving enterprise needs.
As the report concludes: “The focus has now shifted to monetisation,” with diversification and channel partnerships paving the way for sustainable growth.
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