Telecommunication service providers (Telco) networks are complex systems that provide various functionalities to enable communication between subscribers and devices. There are numerous subscriber functionalities offered by Telcos.
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Following are some common categories of such functionalities:
Making and receiving voice calls as well as sending and receiving short messages.
Access to mobile data and internet services through mobile networks.
Use of voice, message and internet services outside of their home network.
Activation and deactivation of mobile devices
Access to emergency services by dialing local emergency numbers.
Traditionally, telecommunications companies were very conservative in allowing access to the above mentioned services due to several reasons, including privacy concerns, regulatory requirements, the sensitivity of personal information, legal and ethical consideration, and user consent. Following are some drawbacks/challenges of such a restriction:
Telcos do not get support from others in advancing and learning the systems.
The innovation was very limited because very limited people had access to such services.
While traditional Telcos have been conservative in sharing subscriber data, there are evolving trends in the industry. For example, some Telcos are exploring data-sharing partnerships that prioritize privacy, transparency, and compliance with regulations.
CAMARA, operating as an open-source project under the Linux Foundation, is dedicated to defining and creating specifications of APIs. It collaborates closely with the GSMA Operator Platform Group to ensure alignment with API requirements, and to publish both API definitions and APIs. This project is supported by Ericsson, T-Mobile, Nokia, Orange, Microsoft, Vodafone, etc.
CAMARA project aims to develop a base guidelines for APIs that can expose telco services in a safe and secure manner without compromising individual privacy and maintaining compliance of both subscribers and regulators.
MSactivator is a multi-domain E2E orchestration platform which can be easily integrated with external systems to perform orchestration tasks. In this section, we will illustrate the MSactivator integration with CAMARA APIs. Using this integration, users can perform orchestration on Telco services and data.
Orange, has developed the APIs in compliance with CAMARA APIs specifications, exposing their network and IT assets. User can benefit from a set of standardized APIs easy to consume with no Telco expertise needed. These APIs fulfill data privacy and regulatory requirements and facilitate application to network integration.
In order to access these APIs, you will need to Signup with Orange developer platform and request access to the desired APIs. Once you request the access, Orange will have to approve your request. Once approved, you will be able to see the credentials in their developer portal.
MSactivator has tight integration with CAMARA APIs vendors, which are compliant with CAMARA API specifications. This integration is implemented through a workflow which allows users to have a more fine-grained control to accessing the CAMARA APIs, and integrating with any other downstream systems.
MSactivator can be integrated with any CAMARA API compliant vendor. Such vendors are listed on the MSactivator workflow where users can select one from the vendors list. Once a vendor is selected, you need to provide credentials details and click on Run button to create a workflow instance for Orange.
The CAMARA Device Location Retrieval API enables the retrieval of the geographical position of a mobile device, represented as a circle. The specific area retrieved is contingent upon the network conditions present at the subscriber’s location.
The CAMARA Device Location Verification API enables the verification of whether a mobile device is located within a specific geographical area. Presently, the supported area is limited to a circle defined by the provided coordinates and accuracy.
Using this API, the requester submits a single mobile device identifier (MSISDN, IP, or external identifier) and receives a response indicating whether the device is currently in roaming status or not.
The CAMARA SimSwap API conducts real-time assessments of the activation date of a SIM card within the mobile network, determining whether a specific mobile line has undergone a porting process to another SIM card. This API serves as a valuable tool in preventing fraud by mitigating the risk of account takeover incidents. It enhances the security of SIM-based authentication methods, such as SMS one-time passwords. Simswap techniques employed by fraudsters, aimed at intercepting SMS messages to reset passwords or gain access to protected accounts, are addressed by the SimSwap API. To get the sim swap information, the use the needs to provide phone number and the past time period (in hours) in which the sim swap has to be checked
The CAMARA project aims to securely expose Telcos’ network services, opening doors to new opportunities for innovation and the creation of user-friendly applications that enhance the sophistication of telecommunication services. Ubiqube’s MSActivator features a catalog of CAMARA API vendors, providing the capability to automate and orchestrate these network services.