Bridge Alliance and Singtel launch telco API platform

Bridge Alliance is described as a mobile alliance of 34 member operators worldwide, and the BAEx platform will use Paragon to aggregate its member operators’ network authentication, user verification and network quality APIs.

The idea behind BAEx is that enterprises and developers can deploy new services on member operator networks by accessing a common API framework, which provides ‘secure, consistent and on-demand access’ to telco network capabilities across multiple regions. This enables the regional aggregation and standardisation of telco APIs utilising CAMARA1 APIs, we’re told.

It is pitched as reducing the complexity and friction for enterprise customers, developers, and solution providers thanks to unified integration, a ‘simplified commercial framework’ and common operational support model.

The APIs offered will provide fintech, e-commerce and over-the-top providers with network authentication, user verification and location tracking functions to start with. This should help enterprises speed up how quickly they can get an API to market, and reduce the complexity of working with multiple telcos, so says the release.

“Enterprises that have operations spanning multiple countries and regions, will depend on reliable, high-quality connectivity to meet their mission-critical business needs and ensure seamless operations,” said Mike Heffner, Vice President of Enterprise Platforms at Singtel’s Digital InfraCo.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Bridge Alliance to leverage Singtel Paragon’s capabilities and offer a unified and consistent way to manage, orchestrate and expose APIs of its member telecommunication operators. This partnership will enable both Singtel and Bridge Alliance to support our customers’ use cases requiring dynamic and granular control of regional telco networking capabilities.”

Dr Ong Geok Chwee, CEO of Bridge Alliance added: “We are delighted to advance API federation leveraging Singtel’s Paragon platform. Through BAEx as a single interface enabling regional consumption of telco APIs, we aim to accelerate telco API exposure to enable our member operators to serve the needs of enterprise customers. An open telco API economy is key to creating new business opportunities for enterprises. To achieve this, we invite communications service providers and industry players to partner BAEx in unlocking the value of telco capabilities.”

APIs have long been touted as a potential way for telcos to make a return on the investments made in 5G, with Ericsson most notably dropping $6.2 billion on Vonage in the pursuit of owning an API platform. Earlier this year it was claimed API initiatives represent a $300 billion opportunity for telcos between now and the end of the decade, and while there doesn’t seem to be an abundance of riches flowing from that fountain at present, cash strapped telcos will no doubt be hoping that there’s some truth to that estimate – assuming they are the ones that end up capitalising on it.