China’s Three Largest Mobile Operators Join GSMA Open Gateway Initiative

Global initiative to help mobile industry, developers and cloud providers collaborate on development of universalnetwork APIs now supported across all continents with29 mobile network operators, representing around 60% of mobile connections worldwide

26 June 2023, Shanghai: The GSMA Open Gateway initiative is continuing to gather pace with three more of the world’s largest operators, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, now signed-up to the global industry framework designed to help accelerate digital services and mobile apps.

GSMA Open Gateway is an industry-wide initiative tohelp developers and cloud providers collaborate with mobile operators through a framework of open network Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs), designed to provide universal access to operator networks across all continents spanning from North America to Australia, Norway to Argentina. By doing so the industry will be able to create, enhance and bring new digital servicesand immersive technologies to market faster and to a wider global customer base.

At a joint signing ceremony ahead of MWC Shanghai, the three operators China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom demonstrated their commitment to collaborate on the open network API framework,meaning the initiative is now supported by 29 mobile network operators, representing around 60% of mobile connections worldwide.

The global initiative, which launched with eight proofs of concept in February, has already grown to 23. The APIsdeveloped through early adopter programmes cover everything from device location and SIM swap to combat online financial crime, through to Quality on Demand to deliver more immersive gaming experiences and enable drones to carry out data intensive missions safely.

Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, said,“Around the world, we’re gaining critical mass from east to west, north to south. China represents the largest 5G market in the world, so having China’s three largest operators committed to this initiative demonstrates its global significance and the strong business case itoffers. In the same way we helped harmonise mobile voice services and enable roaming 35 years ago, I believe GSMA Open Gateway offers the potential to deliver similar levels of significant change for digital services.”

“This is just the beginning, with operators already launching early adopter programmes, we will see more APIs in the coming year, creating new global markets, offering new services and new functionality. This will help unlock further value from 5G connectivity which will flow into the global economy and strengthen future investments, bringing transformational benefits of connectivity to all,” said Granryd.

Gao Tongqing, EVP, China Mobile, said, “China Mobile has been committed to opening up network capabilities and driving positive contributions to promoting the development of the digital economy. We are delighted to be part of the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, which will help industry partners reach different mobile networks and a wider global audience, accelerate our immersive technology offerings to the market, help us innovate on digital products and services, and continue to meet customers’ aspirations for a better digital future, thereby empowering global economic development and social benefits.”

Li Jun, EVP, China Telecom, said, “Our priority is to ensure the best mobile experience for our customers, so the opportunity to participate in this leading mobile industry development is invaluable. We believe collaboration and common frameworks between mobile operators, developers and cloud providers will create new opportunities and drive forward new industries and experiences. We welcome the role that the GSMA is taking to pioneer greater interoperability in the new 5G digital economy and look forward to working with industry partners to drive success.”

Liang Baojun, EVP, China Unicom, said, “China Unicom has been paying attention to and spearheading open network capabilities. This Open Gateway initiative will play a crucial role in helping accelerate innovation in the telecoms industry and launch new opportunities for 5G and ultra-fast broadband connectivity. By creating an ecosystem in which the industry can provide federated network APIs, the initiative provides huge opportunities to accelerate new immersive communications services to the benefit of society and the global economy.”

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Notes to Editors:

About GSMA Open Gateway

GSMA Open Gateway is a framework of common network Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) designed to provide universal access to operator networks for developers. Supported by 29 of the world’s largest and most innovative network operators, the move represents a paradigm shift in the way the telecoms industry designs and delivers services in an API economy world. 

GSMA Open Gateway will help developers and cloud providers enhance and deploy services more quickly across operator networks via single points of access to the world’s largest connectivity platform. This is achieved via common, northbound service APIs that simply expose mobile operators’ network capabilities within a consistent, interoperable and federated framework.

Signatories to the GSMA Open Gateway Memorandum of Understanding are America Movil, AT&T, Axiata, Bharti Airtel, BT Group, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Du, e& Group, KDDI, KPN, KT, Liberty Global, MTN, Omantel, Orange, Singtel, Swisscom, STC, Telecom Argentina, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, TIM, Veon, Verizon and Vodafone.

Find out more at www.gsma.com/futurenetworks/gsma-open-gateway/

About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. 

We invite you to find out more at gsma.com

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