Today, Malaysia’s five leading mobile operators — CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia (TM), and YTL Communications — have jointly announced the rollout of a federated network service under the global GSMA Open Gateway initiative. The purpose? They will be working together to tackle fraud and digital identity theft in the country’s fast-growing online economy.

Number Verification API: A Safer Alternative to SMS OTPs

The first offering from this collaboration is the Number Verification API, which gives enterprise developers at banks and online retailers the ability to verify a customer’s mobile number directly with real-time network data.

Unlike traditional SMS OTPs, which are increasingly vulnerable to scams, this new API provides:

• Stronger authentication through direct carrier verification
• Seamless user experience without manual code entry
• Federated access across all participating Malaysian operators

The result is a unified, more secure digital identity layer that enterprises can integrate into their platforms to protect customers while maintaining simplicity.

Industry Leaders Speak on the Impact

CelcomDigi’s Acting CEO Albern Murty called the collaboration “a pivotal step towards a trusted and inclusive digital future”, highlighting its role in safeguarding Malaysians from scams while spurring digital confidence.

Maxis CEO Goh Seow Eng emphasised Maxis’ early role in championing telco APIs, citing its Mobile Identity solution and cross-border collaborations with operators in Thailand and Singapore.

U Mobile CIO Neil Tomkinson noted that the company was the first in Malaysia to launch an Open Gateway developer portal, adding that multi-party engagement is critical to stopping fraud.

TM Group CEO Amar Huzaimi Md Deris said the company’s mobile core network is ready to support federated access, framing the initiative as key to delivering sovereign and secure digital solutions.

YTL Communications CEO Wing K. Lee tied the announcement to the company’s broader digital ambitions, including its AI Cloud infrastructure and sovereign LLM “ILMU”, noting that Open Gateway will strengthen Malaysia’s innovation-driven ecosystem.

GSMA’s Head of Asia Pacific Julian Gorman praised the move, stating that it’s “a milestone for the GSMA Open Gateway programme” and crucial to addressing the growing online scam crisis in ASEAN.

A Global Initiative with Local Leadership

The Malaysian launch forms part of the GSMA Open Gateway programme, which now involves 79 mobile operator groups covering 291 networks and nearly 80% of global mobile connections. APIs are made available via the CAMARA repository, an open-source project led by the Linux Foundation.

By joining this global effort, Malaysia’s operators are not only strengthening national digital security but also ensuring that local businesses can build services that scale seamlessly across borders and networks. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.