After Certification: How MNOs Can Monetise Network APIs

GSMA Member GMS explores what comes next after Network API certification, and what operators need to consider to turn certified capabilities into real commercial value.

Network API certification is an important milestone, but it is not the finish line. It proves that an operator can expose network capabilities in a standardised, interoperable way. It does not prove that enterprises know why they should buy, that developers can onboard easily, that sales teams can qualify demand, or that the API will become recurring revenue.

That distinction matters because Network APIs are moving from industry ambition into commercial execution. GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA have helped create a common technical foundation for exposing network capabilities through standardised APIs. But the commercial question comes next: once the API is certified, how do operators monetise Network APIs in a way that creates enterprise demand, a qualified pipeline, production deployments, and repeat usage?

Certification creates trust. It does not create a market

Certification solves a real problem. Enterprises and developers do not want every operator integration to look different. They want APIs that behave consistently across networks, countries, and partners. Standardisation makes it easier for enterprises to adopt Network APIs at scale. GSMA defines Open Gateway Certification as a structured testing programme that helps ensure operators and API providers deploy standardised APIs compliant with CAMARA specifications.

But interoperability is only one part of adoption. Enterprises rarely wake up looking for “a certified telco API.” They look for ways to reduce fraud, improve authentication, increase transaction completion rates, optimise the customer experience, comply with regulations, or automate operations.

That means MNOs need to stop thinking of Network APIs as technical endpoints and start managing them as commercial products. A certified SIM Swap API is not just a telco capability. For a bank, it is an account takeover prevention tool. A Number Verification API is not simply an authentication interface. For a marketplace, fintech, or e-commerce company, this is a way to reduce OTP friction and improve conversion rates. A Quality on Demand API is not merely network exposure. For gaming, video, healthcare, or industrial applications, it provides a predictable user experience when latency, jitter, or throughput matters.

This is the foundation of network API monetisation for operators: translating network capabilities into business outcomes that enterprises already understand, budget for, and measure.

Read the full article on the GMS website to find out more.

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