Several Latin American operators have announced that they will join Open Gateway, the GSMA project that creates a framework for the Global Network Application Programming Interface (API).
The common platform will reduce the fragmentation of the application market, making it easier for developers to design applications for mobile networks.
The project, which is supported by 21 operators from all over the world, was announced on the first day of the MWC 2023 mobile world event in Barcelona.
Telefónica, América Móvil, TIM, Orange and AT&T are the companies operating in Latin America and the Caribbean that have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GSMA.
Telefónica is one of the main promoters of Open Gateway, and its CEO, José María Álvarez Pallete, even mentioned the new Open Gateway API platform at MWC.
When asked about the BNamericas initiative, Telefónica’s Director of Regulation and Wholesale Trade for Latin America, José Juan Haro, said that Open Gateway is something the Telefónica Group is interested in globally.
He added that the company is in the infrastructure business, but he could not confirm any timeframe for launching open APIs in Latin America.
Through the Wayra Open Innovation Initiative, Telefónica has launched a global call for startup companies Who work on disruptive technologies with applications based on Open Gateway. Startups will receive funding in the total amount of between 100,000 and 5 million euros (up to 5.2 million USD).
Early Adopter was built in collaboration with Microsoft Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, and Vonage.
TIM also announced that it will launch Open Gateway in its Italian and Brazilian operations. In the latter country, the platform will make it possible to offer solutions based on the Internet of Things and mobile coverage to the market. With this, TIM Brasil will be able to further improve its offer of corporate communication services by enabling enterprise and industrial applications, the company said in a statement.
The Italian company added: “The API catalog that is made available to developers will gradually expand from number verification and SIM exchange, with gradual enrichment in the following months.”
For its part, America Movil said that Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico will be the first operations to have open APIs under the umbrella of this project. The company will then expand Open Gateway to other operations in the future.
Over the next 12 months, the initiative will continue through early adoption programs for developers, which are organized by GSMA members.
“Beeraholic. Friend of animals everywhere. Evil web scholar. Zombie maven.”