At this year’s Talent Arena during MWC Barcelona, the Open Gateway DevCon united developers to explore how telecom network capabilities are transforming app development. The event welcomed over 600 developers, including 500+ enterprise developers highlighting the strong demand for applications powered by standardised Network APIs.
Through demos and technical sessions, leading tech companies showed how to integrate network intelligence directly into applications using the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.
Rethinking Authentication with Network APIs
Several sessions focused on how Number Verification and Silent Authentication APIs are redefining secure and seamless user authentication.
Toyeeb Rehman from GSMA introduced developers to Open Gateway and demonstrated how standardised network APIs allow apps to verify users instantly, prevent fraud, and adapt to real-world network conditions. The session included a live sandbox demonstration showing how developers can test APIs in-browser and integrate working code directly into their applications.
Building on this, Vasile Granaci from Glide Identity demonstrated how developers can move beyond SMS codes by using network capabilities to confirm device ownership, reducing fraud risks such as SIM swap attacks while improving user experience.
Pushpendra Singh from Meta further explored the shift away from traditional authentication methods with Silent Authentication, where verification happens securely in the background without requiring users to enter one-time codes. This approach improves both security and conversion rates while simplifying login flows.
Together, these sessions highlighted how network-based authentication can provide faster, more secure alternatives to legacy verification methods.
Enhancing Digital Experiences with Network Intelligence
Beyond authentication, speakers demonstrated how network APIs can enhance application performance and user experiences across industries.
Vladimir Liulka from Blocksport and Lauri Alho from Nokia showcased how CAMARA-aligned APIs such as Quality on Demand and Number Verification can power richer digital experiences for sports fans. By embedding network capabilities directly into applications, developers can deliver smoother streaming, reliable connectivity, and seamless authentication for high-demand events.
Similarly, Sridhar Gollapudi from Google, Chetan Narang from Colt and Alexandru Ciinaru from Orange demonstrated how programmable networks support emerging agentic AI applications. Using Firebase Phone Number Verification and Network Quality APIs, developers can build applications that dynamically adapt to network conditions and improve onboarding and identity verification.
AI-Driven Development and Secure Infrastructure
The DevCon also explored how AI-assisted development and modern security frameworks are accelerating adoption of network APIs.
Nick Venezia from Centillion showed how developers can connect AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor to CAMARA network APIs, enabling them to build network-aware applications in minutes using AI-generated code.
Meanwhile, Lin Sun from Solo.io demonstrated how developers can secure distributed infrastructure using an MCP gateway that applies OAuth, JWT, and other identity systems without requiring modifications to existing servers. The session included a live demo of an AI agent securely interacting with MCP tools.
Open Gateway Hackathon: Innovation in Action
A highlight of the event was the Open Gateway Hackathon Live Finals, hosted by Mikko Jarva and Lauri Alho from Nokia.
The top teams presented live demos of innovative solutions built using advanced telecom network APIs via Nokia’s Network as Code platform. Attendees watched rapid-fire pitches and voted for their favourite project, showcasing how developers are already building new services on programmable telecom networks.
Growing Momentum for Open Gateway
The Open Gateway DevCon demonstrated the growing momentum behind network-powered applications. With more than 500 enterprise developers in attendance, the sessions highlighted how standardised telecom APIs are enabling developers to build applications that are more secure, more intelligent, and more responsive to real-world network conditions.
As the Open Gateway ecosystem continues to expand, events like Open Gateway DevCon show how the developer community is unlocking the full potential of programmable telecom networks.