At Mobile World Congress 2025, one thing was clear: Network APIs have moved from innovation to commercialization. In our latest CPaaSAA Talk, I sat down with Justin Paul (GSMA Open Gateway), Markus Kuemmerle (Project CAMARA), and Jill Levato (Linux Foundation) to discuss the evolution of APIs, the role of AI, and what’s next for telcos, enterprises, and developers.
MWC 2025: A Shift from Innovation to Business
Reflecting on MWC 2025, Justin shared how their Open Gateway Zone surpassed expectations, featuring 30+ companies demonstrating real-world API applications. Beyond just innovation, the conversation was dominated by monetization, demand-side adoption, and commercial use cases—a significant shift from previous years.
Markus added that Project CAMARA showcased the progress from technical API standardization to real-world deployments. He noted that APIs are no longer just experimental tools but are now forming the backbone of new telco business models.
This evolution was evident in China Mobile’s award-winning Open Gateway Challenge entry, which leveraged a simple location API to build an Uber-like experience for seniors using feature phones—powered by voice-driven AI.
The Monetization Challenge
The big question remains: Are operators making money from APIs?
Markus highlighted that the fraud prevention space has seen the fastest API adoption, driven by rising digital fraud concerns. However, the next big monetization areas are emerging, including:
• Location-based services (e.g., geofencing for security and logistics)
• Quality on-demand APIs for guaranteed connectivity
• Enterprise-specific solutions, tailored to different verticals
Jill added the Linux Foundation perspective, emphasizing that the infrastructure is now in place—Project CAMARA has standardized APIs, Open Gateway has unified exposure, and aggregators like Aduna Global are simplifying access.
Aduna Global, a joint venture between Ericsson and 15+ operators, is positioning itself as a single access point for developers to consume telco APIs at scale. This aggregation model is critical for simplifying adoption and overcoming fragmentation, a long-standing barrier in the telecom industry.
AI and Network APIs: The Next Acceleration
AI was another dominant theme at MWC 2025, and Jill pointed out that AI is poised to simplify API adoption. Traditionally, developers struggled with telco APIs due to their complexity. AI will bridge this gap, making APIs easier to integrate into applications, just as AI is streamlining CPaaS adoption.
Additionally, AI-powered automation of network APIs will drive smarter applications, such as dynamic fraud detection, real-time connectivity adjustments, and voice-activated services.
The Industry’s 2025 Priorities
Looking ahead, the group identified three key challenges for 2025:
- Monetization: Moving beyond experiments to proven revenue-generating services.
- Standardization & Scalability: Ensuring APIs work seamlessly across operators.
- Wider Ecosystem Engagement: Bringing developers, enterprises, and non-telco players into the fold.
Justin emphasized that the GSMA’s Fusion program will play a critical role in aligning API development with enterprise needs. Historically, telcos have struggled to engage enterprises beyond connectivity. Now, APIs provide a way to deliver high-value, problem-solving solutions—but only if telcos listen to enterprise needs.
What’s Next? More Deployments, More Revenue
So, what will success look like at MWC 2026?
The consensus: Operators need to show real API-driven revenue growth. As Markus put it, “It’s simple—monetization. Show me the money.” With many telcos still hesitant, tangible proof points will be key to getting more industry players on board.
Expanding the Ecosystem in 2025
At CPaaS Acceleration Alliance we’re focused on best practices, commercialization, and ecosystem expansion. Our goal is to bridge the telco and CPaaS worlds, ensuring APIs become a critical driver of new revenue models.
With AI accelerating API adoption, operators starting to monetize, and a growing enterprise focus, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year. We’ll continue driving the conversation at events like CASA25 in September, where we’ll bring together telcos, CPaaS providers, and enterprises to push the industry forward.
Let’s make 2025 the year Network APIs become a commercial success!
My lifetime in IT and telecoms has been dedicated to innovation, building bridges and creating change. From the early days of cloud communications to working with operators on innovations and business development, and currently emphasizing APIs, CPaaS/CX and AI, my journey has been one of continuous evolution.
As founding partner at CPaaS Acceleration Alliance and The Next Cloud I'm privileged to help global telcos and techcos thrive in a fast changing world - through events, community building, strategy and global business development. I thrive on challenges and change, strategizing in cloud communications, and bringing people together for mutual success. Travel and continuous learning are my passions.
I believe the global communications industry is pivoting to prioritize customer experience and impactful solutions over mere technology and platforms, and we can tackle societal challenges by merging the strengths of corporates and innovators within new ecosystems.
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