Why Open Gateway/Camara Isn’t Plug-and-Play
Despite global efforts to harmonize and standardize telecom APIs, CAMARA may not be as plug-and-play for mobile operators as they would like it to be.
CHAPTER 1
Executive Summary
The GSMA Open Gateway initiative and CAMARA APIs aim to simplify access to mobile network capabilities through standardized APIs, enabling enterprises and developers to build consistent, scalable services. While the initiative promotes a “plug-and-play” vision, the reality for mobile operators is far more complex.
This white paper explores why Open Gateway and CAMARA APIs are not plug-and-play from an operator’s perspective. It highlights key challenges such as architectural diversity, fragmented backend systems, regulatory constraints, and inconsistent onboarding and commercial models. These factors lead to significant variation in API implementation, even when standards exist. To bridge the gap between vision and execution, operators need robust middleware solutions. These platforms can harmonize data across silos, streamline integration with legacy and next-generation networks, and support critical features such as version control, high availability, authentication, and observability.
The paper outlines strategic options for operators—from building in-house platforms to utilizing middleware as a balanced path forward. Operators that embrace middleware can accelerate API exposure, reduce development overhead, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital services landscape.
Download the full White Paper
- Executive summary
- The API Exposure Business Opportunity
- CAMARA API Integration Challenges
- The Middleware Solution
- Strategic Directions for Operators
- Our Middleware: The Enea API Composition Engine
Appendix A: The Vision of Open Gateway and CAMARA
Appendix B: Questions You Should Ask Yourself and Your Team
APPENDIX A
The Vision of Open Gateway and CAMARA
The GSMA Open Gateway APIs, developed under the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA project, aim to simplify developer access to telecom networks. These APIs provide:
- Standardization: Unified interfaces for global operator interoperability.
- Enhanced Capabilities: Access to features like quality on demand, location services, identity verification, and edge computing.
- Open Source: Collaborative development to foster innovation.
- Operator Collaboration: Alignment with real-world network capabilities and business needs.
These APIs transform telecom networks into service enablement platforms by exposing capabilities in an on-demand, secure, and controlled manner. CAMARA APIs’ abstraction from network to service APIs ensures they are user-friendly, respect data privacy, and facilitate application-to-network integration. Additionally, their availability across telco networks and countries accelerates technology development and commercial adoption, reduces implementation efforts, and supports application portability.
As of January 2025, CAMARA APIs include features such as device status checks, SIM Swap, Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, location verification, and network quality management. While these northbound APIs are designed for simplicity and consistency, southbound integration poses significant challenges.
Below is an overview of the current (January 2025) CAMARA APIs:
| API name | API product family | Description of use |
|---|---|---|
| Device Status device-reachability-status device-roaming-status |
Subscriber Identity | Checks connectivity status for user equipment, including roaming status, country, and connection status. Can notify of status changes in subscription mode. |
| KYC Fill-in (Know Your Customer) |
Subscriber Identity | Allows requesting and receiving verified user information from mobile operator KYC records. Useful for one-click checkout, form auto-fill, and verifying user details. |
| KYC Match (Know Your Customer) |
Subscriber Identity | Validates user-provided information against verified mobile operator records to prevent fraud and ensure KYC compliance. |
| Number Verification1 | Subscriber Identity | Verifies that the provided mobile number matches the one used in the device for authentication purposes. |
| One Time Password (SMS)1 | Subscriber Identity | Delivers and validates a short-lived one-time password via SMS for proof of phone number possession and authentication. |
| SIM Swap1 | Subscriber Identity | Checks when a SIM card associated with a mobile number was last changed, useful for fraud prevention. |
| Device Location Verification1 | Location | Checks if a mobile device is near a specific location within a certain accuracy range. |
| Device Geofencing Subscription | Location | Enables subscriptions to receive notifications when devices enter or exit specified areas. |
| Location Retrieval | Location | Retrieves a device’s location based on current network conditions for purposes such as person-to-person payment or logistics. |
| Connectivity Insights / Optimisation | Network Quality / Optimisation | Allows applications to query if networking requirements for an end-user session are met, useful for optimizing user experience. |
| Mobile Quality on Demand | Network Quality / Optimisation | Controls mobile connectivity service quality for applications like 5G online gaming, requesting stable latency and throughput. |
| Home Devices Quality On Demand (QoD) | Network Quality / Optimisation | Allows application developers to control Wi-Fi network configuration of their end-user devices when connected to a fixed-line service, influencing QoS behavior. |
| Simple Edge Discovery1 | MEC (Mobile Edge Cloud) | Allows applications to discover the nearest Edge-Cloud zone for connection. |
| Traffic Influence | MEC (Mobile Edge Cloud) | Provides intent-based interface to request optimal latency for edge-deployed services. (Optimal routing in terms of latency). |
| Carrier Billing | Payments & Charging | Allows an online merchant to enable the purchase of third-party digital goods and to request payment against the user’s Mobile Operator billing system. |
1) It should be noted that only Device location verification, Number verification, One-Time Password, Simple Edge Discovery, and SIM Swap are considered stable at this time (January 2025). For the latest information about the CAMARA APIs, please refer to the CAMARA project site at Github
