The CAMARA open-source project delivers standardized APIs for network functions. Developers can now use network features as easily as any REST API. This is not a pilot experiment. Dozens of operators worldwide already support Open Gateway.

The CAMARA community now counts over 47 companies and thousands of experts. Standardization ensures the same API works across borders and operators. Developers can build applications that scale globally and stay portable and scalable.

At this year’s Infobip Shift conference, the panel “Unleash the Power of 5G in Your Code: Transform Your Apps” highlighted a significant shift for developers — bringing the network directly into their code. Korrey Sutherland (GSMA), Markus Kümmerle (CAMARA), and Cedric Gonin (Orange) shared a clear message: it’s time to unlock the power of 5G networks and put it directly in developers’ hands.

Korrey Sutherland

What 5G Networks Can Do for Applications

The panel showed practical cases of a codable network. In insurance, a user reports an incident, accompanied by a photo and GPS data. The API validates the claim, reducing the risk of fraud.

Infrastructure projects also benefit. Operators can use network data to monitor road conditions or guide new developments. Public sector use cases include identity protection and safety measures for children in schools.

One of the most powerful demonstrations came from remote vehicle control. A car in Finland responded in real-time to commands sent from Barcelona, over 3,400 kilometers away. The 5G network and API enabled this with ultra-low latency and reliable connectivity.

Cedric Gonin from Orange added business examples. Companies now process requests more efficiently with APIs, including digital document checks and real-time risk assessments in insurance.

Cedric Gonin

Behind all this progress stands CAMARA. As an open-source project under the Linux Foundation, it standardizes APIs and hides complexity. Developers don’t need to study network architecture or operator differences.

They utilize simple interfaces that are compatible with any device. The result is application portability, faster launches, and entirely new user experiences. The network no longer acts as background infrastructure. It becomes an active tool inside applications.

From Vision to Reality

What once sounded like a vision is now a reality in practice. GSMA Intelligence reported that by mid-2025, over 70 operator groups with nearly 300 networks had joined Open Gateway.

That accounts for approximately 80 percent of the global mobile market. Meanwhile, CAMARA expanded its API library to dozens of use cases. These include identity, location, authentication, quality-on-demand, and edge computing.

Some countries already deploy these APIs. In the UK, operators rolled out age verification and SIM swap protection. In Indonesia, telcos use unified API standards for device security and validation. Developer portals now display which APIs are supported in which countries. Interactive maps, clear docs, and testing tools lower the barrier to entry.

Markus Kümmerle

Developers can focus on value and innovation instead of struggling with network integration. The message is clear. The network is open.

Developers must seize it. With GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA, applications no longer rely only on the cloud. They can now tap directly into the network. It’s time to unleash the network in your code. Only then will applications reveal what 5G networks can achieve in practice.

Want to know what else was discussed at Infobip Shift at Zadar in 2025? Find out here!

The post $300B Opportunity: 5G APIs Put Networks in Developers’ Hands appeared first on ShiftMag.

Both approaches tend to be pretty vague. So it’s pretty rare that representatives of different telecoms—like Orange, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom—share a stage and discuss not only the actual use cases of network APIs but also their limitations and the work that needs to be done to make them useful for developers.  

Cedric Gonin (Orange), Fernando Guillot Gimeno (Telefónica Innovación Digital), and Noel Wirzius (Deutsche Telekom AG) got pretty real(istic) onstage at Infobip Shift Conference, where they were joined by  Nokia’s Shkumbin Hamiti and Infobip’s Matija Razem.   

What are the use cases for Network APIs?  

The first issue on the table was – what do network APIs actually provide?  

Gonin explained that network APIs give developers access to certain user information that telcos use to identify their customers, like ISDN, MSIDN, SIM status, and other user information. This information is what you need to confirm that the device in question is really the one requesting information without sending information via SMS.  

It adds an additional layer of security against fraud and regular usage—after all, users can and do change numbers.  

Gimeno stressed that dynamic data is especially interesting to developers. Take, for example, API Device location—it has two uses, he explains. One is verification, verifying info that you already know—if you’re in front of the ATM, the bank can see if you are really around the ATM and the one getting the money. If you’re away, it can stop the transaction automatically.  

The other use is geofencing, meaning developers can set an area where they want an activity to occur. That way, a shop can offer a customer something when they are in the vicinity, or you could get a notification when your kids arrive where they are going.  

Of course, some of this can be achieved through a GPS signal, but GPS can be tampered with when it’s not coming from multiple antennas. Wirzius notes that getting the location from your telco without using your phone’s GPS is not only more accurate but also saves batteries. So it’s not just about inventing new use cases with Network APIs—it’s also about upgrading old ones using different technology.  

Use cases are great, but ease of use should be greater  

The what is important when it comes to Network APIs, everyone agrees, but the how holds as much weight. Quality of service is a part of mission-critical capabilities, and part of that is simplifying API usage and documentation.   

The telcos must embark on this journey together if they want NetworkAPIs to reach their potential. They noted that simplicity does not come naturally to them.   

After all, telcos rely on standards, as there is no other way to ensure interoperability. They have a natural tendency to introduce new standards when they face a problem, and that is somewhat at odds with their current mission of removing complexity from Network APIs.  

This is also where partnerships like the one with Infobip help by removing complexity for the end users – the developers. Let’s say you want to fly a drone over country borders. You cannot do this unless you can guarantee you’ll be able to operate it at all times, requiring you to have agreements with each telco that covers the area you want to fly it. Intermediaries like Infobip allow you to do this through a single API. They negotiate and make agreements with telcos all over Europe and worldwide so that developers don’t have to.   

In the words of Steve Balmer: Developers, developers, developers  

It’s also important to make things available to developers in a way they are used to, Hamiti stressed: “Linux foundation project Camara is one of the key efforts in that direction. Contributors help to scale it, but making it truly global requires close collaboration – between telcos and developers, but also amongst telcos themselves.” 

The first steps for developers, Gonin noted, would be to bring new ideas:  

“We are trying to do the same as with the first smartphones. We provide support for new ideas and create a platform for them. We can help bring new use cases to market and make them successful. We need to provide a full range to end-users to make Network APIs happen.”

Gimeno agrees:  

“The center point is developers. I worked for many years for Microsoft. I always remember Steve Balmer standing up in front of a huge crowd shouting, “Developers, developers , developers!”. Everything we are doing as integrators and telcos is making it easy for devs to do what they do.”  

He reminds us that it’s a new initiative—with 44 telcos participating, covering 22 countries. Yet if NetworkAPIs are global one day, telcos need to stop competing in their area and work together so developers don’t have to worry about what part of the country their users are in and what telco they are using.  

The post Network API: Achieving Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity appeared first on ShiftMag.

This opens up exciting possibilities, like remotely controlling vehicles (imagine an interactive self-driving car two thousand kilometers away!) and enhancing user experiences.

So, how can developers tap into this potential?

Network APIs can boost app performance using telecom power

At the Infobip Shift conference, Shkumbin Hamiti from Nokia showed how network APIs make the most of 5G and easily fit into apps, with demonstrations from experts Matija Razem and Boris Drilo highlighting their real-world uses.

Shkumbin defines its API business system as a way to deliver network capabilities that seamlessly integrate into applications, enhancing the digital experience for end-users. Network APIs are how developers enter the world of telecommunications.

They provide access to valuable user data collected by operators and manage the way your applications communicate with the network. From protecting bank customers to enabling remote control of ships or cars, network APIs are already having a significant impact on various human activities.

With Networks as a code API, you don’t need deep knowledge to unlock the power of mobile networks.

Network-Based Platform: Shkumbin says that Nokia has developed a platform called “network-based”, aimed at enabling developers to access and utilize complex network capabilities effectively.

API Development: The company is working on APIs that provide advanced functionalities, such as ensuring the quality of service for sessions and improving security through trusted device locations, instead of relying solely on-device data.

Developers can easily integrate 5G features into apps

Network Science: A significant focus is on “network science” within the company, providing specialized network creation for specific applications (e.g., 5G video devices) while minimizing legal complexities for users. Network API-s enable developers to integrate advanced 5G network capabilities into their applications seamlessly.

These APIs are giving you access to the power of the 5G network and unleashing a new era of innovation and revenue opportunities.

Main benefits to app developers: Hamiti mentioned the simplicity of using their APIs – requiring only a few lines of code to achieve advanced network capabilities, despite the complex technology running in the background. Simple APIs and ergonomics SDKs fit your existing workflows and make integration a breeze.

With Networks as a code API, you don’t need deep knowledge to unlock the power of mobile networks.

Network APIs in action!

This can bring users and developers to new use cases, better and more secure applications, and network monetization. If we speak about real use cases, for example, that would be:

1. Remote logistic operations;
2. Drone operations;
3. Shared, remote, and automated mobility;
4. Finance, Health and safety Asset management;
5. Stadium, event, and gaming experiences;
6. VR technology.

Partnerships and Collaboration: Successful implementation of these technologies often involves partnerships with other companies. They are emphasizing that collaboration is key to innovating and delivering such services.

These details emphasize the significance of network APIs in enhancing application capabilities. The company’s commitment to making these technologies accessible, and the various innovative use cases being explored.

The post Unlock advanced network capabilities with just a few lines of code appeared first on ShiftMag.