- Agreement signed with GSMA to support global industry initiative to give enterprise developers easier, open access to telco networks via APIs
- Accelerating development of next-gen services and exploring revenue models with global telecoms
- Lee Sangyeop, CTO, Shares Future Technology Trends at GSMA Technology Group Meeting
LG Uplus announced on the 30th that it has signed an agreement with the GSMA to participate in the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, advancing strategies for monetising network infrastructure.
At the signing ceremony, held at the Sofitel Ambassador Hotel in Seoul, LG Uplus CTO Lee Sang-yeop and GSMA CTO Alex Sinclair confirmed their commitment to cooperate on the GSMA Open Gateway initiative. This collaboration aims to address the demands of next-generation digital services by fostering network monetisation through API-sharing.
The GSMA Open Gateway initiative, a key focus of GSMA, allows telecom operators to share standardised network information via APIs with external developers. This effort supports collaboration between global telecoms, enabling faster development of new services through shared technologies. By utilising these APIs, improvements in network performance, fintech, media, and cloud services are expected, optimising user experiences and increasing operational efficiency across sectors.
Following its launch at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, GSMA's Open Gateway Initiative has encouraged participation from telecom operators globally. So far, 60 telecoms operators representing nearly three-quarters (74%) of mobile connections around the world have partnered with GSMA to promote API openness. In collaboration with the Linux Foundation, APIs for location services, identity verification, and payments have been distributed, with plans for further API development to be designed with ease of use for developers in mind.
GSMA Open Gateway offers a pathway for telecom operators to expand their business across borders, facilitated by standardised APIs. Telecom companies in regions like Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where cross-border mobile services are common, have shown keen participation. This opens opportunities for LG Uplus to explore the export of its services in international markets.
In August, LG Uplus signed a joint research agreement with domestic telecom operators to develop standard open APIs. The company is also working with the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to establish a national standard by the end of this year.
The signing ceremony was held ahead of the Technology Group meeting, part of GSMA’s 'M360 APAC 2024' event taking place in Seoul this week (1-2nd October). Following the agreement, CTO Lee attended the meeting to discuss future telecommunications trends with representatives from global telecom operators.
Alex Sinclair, CTO of GSMA, commented, “South Korea is one of the most pioneering countries in the world when it comes to mobile innovation. By joining other global telecoms and technology leaders in the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, LG Uplus will help developers gain universal access to operator networks both within the country and around the world through a set of common APIs. This will help unleash new functionality, services and Apps over 5G networks, creating new economic benefit, better customer experiences and enhanced security.”
Lee Sangyeob, CTO of LG Uplus, stated, "Through the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, we aim to maximise the value of our network infrastructure and create new revenue models that address the needs of next-generation digital services, providing differentiated value to more customers."