Software

VEON joins GSMA Open Gateway aiming to make telecommunications accessible

Courtesy of Adobe Stock.

March 17, 2023

Veon, a global telecommunications firm with the mission of expanding global internet access with a focus on underserved and remote populations, has announced that it is joining the GSMA Open Gateway, a consortium of telecom operators designed to make global networks more accessible to developers by creating universal API standards and best practices, according to a press release.

GSMA Open Gateway was founded by 21 mobile network operators at MWC Barcelona 2023 (formerly known as Mobile World Congress), and it aims to make digital services work together in a way the group likens to the way telecom industry pioneers standardized to enable mobile device roaming in the 1980s. Veon has worked to expand access for over 500 million people worldwide as part of its "4G For All" initiative, which aims to bring 4G access to everyone, including the launch of 4G across Bangladesh, which later facilitated over 1 billion FIFA streams on national streaming app Toffee.

"Rolling out innovation with speed and interoperability is key to the success of our industry," Kaan Terzioglu, CEO at VEON Group, said in the release. "The GSMA Open Gateway provides a standardized way for developers to build new applications and services, to the benefit of customers. As a digital operator that offers a wide range of digital services, we are delighted to join this GSMA initiative alongside our fellow operators."

"By applying the concept of interconnection for operators to the API economy, developers can utilize technology once, for services such as identity, cybersecurity or billing, but with the potential to be integrated with every operator worldwide," Mats Granryd, director general at the GSMA, said in the release. "This is a profound change in the way we design and deliver services."