{"id":46031,"date":"2026-04-07T17:53:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/gsma-open-gateway\/?p=46031"},"modified":"2026-04-07T18:07:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:07:31","slug":"the-growth-engine-is-ready-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/gsma-open-gateway\/the-growth-engine-is-ready-now-what\/","title":{"rendered":"The Growth Engine is Ready. Now What?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MWC26 | Open Gateway Summit | Accelerating Network API Adoption | Session 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the network API ecosystem shifted from hype to distribution and what operators must do next.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MWC Barcelona 2026<\/a><\/strong> opened with a clear message from the GSMA Open Gateway<\/a> Summit:<\/strong> the era of pilots and proof-of-concepts is over. Network APIs are generating real revenue, in real markets, for real enterprises. The question is no longer whether this works, it is how fast the industry can scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first session, Understanding the Expanding Network API Ecosystem<\/strong>, chaired by Justin Paul<\/a> (Marketing Director, Open Gateway, GSMA)<\/strong>, brought together operators, aggregators, and platform players to examine how far the ecosystem has come, and what needs to happen next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Pilots to Pay Checks<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Keynote speaker Dr. Nicolai Sch\u00e4ttgen<\/a><\/strong> (Match-Maker Ventures<\/a>)<\/strong> set the tone with a sharp framing: the industry has passed through the standardisation phase. CAMARA<\/a> APIs<\/strong> are in place. The commercial momentum is building. But the KPI that now matters most is not time-to-first-API, it is time-to-distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The value lies beneath the connectivity iceberg: identity, trust, context. Those who capture it will differentiate; those who don’t will be squeezed.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicolai <\/em>Sch\u00e4ttgen, Matchmaker Ventures<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Business cases are increasingly tangible. Markets like Brazil and the US are already processing millions of API transactions each month. The message to operators was direct: the window for capturing value is open, but it will not stay open indefinitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTP is Under Pressure and the Industry Knows It<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Three<\/figure>
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The fireside chat, moderated by Markus K\u00fcmmerle<\/a> <\/strong>of CAMARA<\/a><\/strong>, featuring Atty Adel Tamano<\/a>, DITO Telecomunity<\/a>, Orisa Cherenfant<\/a>, Twilio<\/a>, <\/strong>and Eddie DeCurtis<\/a>,<\/strong> Shush<\/a><\/strong>, brought a striking data point into the room: Twilio is processing 30.8 million API transactions per day, and the shift away from OTP-based authentication is well underway.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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DITO, operating in the Philippines with 17 million subscribers, highlighted the direct link between high mobile fraud rates and the need for better network-native authentication. Shush’s ‘business in a box’ model, handling contracting, technical integration, and commercial setup, is removing friction for enterprises that want the benefits of network APIs without the integration overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message from this session was clear: SMS OTP is not a long-term solution<\/strong>. Fraud via SIM-swap and SMS interception is rising, regulators are paying attention, and risk-based orchestration that combines network signals with biometrics is the architecture that is winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n