The session opened with Julian Gorman, Head of GSMA Asia Pacific, underscoring how the convergence of network APIs and platform innovation is redefining mobile security. As digital ecosystems expand, the ability to verify users quickly and securely has become fundamental to trust and growth. The Expert Spotlight session offered a timely look into how carriers and technology players can collaborate to deliver that trust at scale.
Firebase: Making Authentication Seamless
Micah Baker, Senior Product Manager for Google’s Firebase, explained how the platform which used by nearly four million developers worldwide, continues to simplify the developer journey. Firebase has long served as a one-stop environment for building, deploying, and scaling applications. Now, its latest feature, Phone Number Verification, brings authentication into the same seamless ecosystem.
Instead of sending SMS one-time passwords (OTPs), the new method authenticates users directly via their SIM cards, in partnership with mobile network operators. Developers only need a single method call to confirm the user’s phone number, drastically reducing friction and errors in the onboarding process.
Empowering Carriers in the New Authentication Model
For mobile network operators (MNOs), the solution represents more than a technical shift, it’s a chance to regain centrality in the digital ecosystem.. As John Tolton, SVP Group Voice Mobility and Marketplace at Telin, noted, carriers have a renewed opportunity to become the backbone of digital trust. With SIM-based verification, operators reclaim their central role in authentication, ensuring secure access while unlocking new business models.
Services like SIM swap detection and fraud prevention APIs not only strengthen network-level security but also open fresh revenue opportunities for carriers. By integrating with Firebase, carriers can seamlessly connect with millions of app developers who value speed, reliability, and user experience.
Telin and IPification: Connecting Global Innovation to Regional Markets
Bringing this innovation to life across Asia Pacific requires more than technology, it needs collaboration, infrastructure, and regional expertise. That’s where Telin and IPification come in.
Stefan Kostic, CEO of IPification, explained how their IP-based authentication technology ensures secure, low-latency verification while maintaining user privacy. This foundation allows Firebase to deliver real-time authentication without sacrificing compliance or performance.
Meanwhile, Telin plays a critical enabling role to connecting regional carriers and enterprises to the Firebase ecosystem. Acting as both telco partner and aggregator, Telin simplifies access to these new APIs and standards, helping operators and developers adopt the technology quickly and efficiently. Through this collaboration, global innovation finds local execution, making adoption across Indonesia and the broader region both feasible and scalable.
Technical Alignment and Industry Readiness
For carriers, adopting Firebase Phone Number Verification requires infrastructure similar to what is needed for RCS or other advanced services. They can choose between connecting through Camara APIs or directly via the TS43 protocol, both of which are supported by GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative.
GSMA’s role, as highlighted by Julian Gorman, is crucial in ensuring that carriers can adopt these standards consistently, avoiding fragmentation and accelerating interoperability. Such alignment sets the foundation for a robust global framework in which every network, platform, and app speaks the same security language. Panelists highlighted the need for careful planning, education, and new monetization strategies to ensure a smooth shift.
Redefining the User Experience
For users, the change is instantly noticeable. No more delays, no more typing codes, just frictionless verification that works on any connection. With Firebase Phone Number Verification, the process is instant, seamless, and works even without mobile data. By removing unnecessary steps, the service not only improves convenience but also boosts inclusivity for users across different device and network environments.
For developers, Firebase reduces integration effort dramatically. With built-in support for this verification service, they can focus on building great experiences instead of managing telecom complexities. The outcome: apps that onboard faster, retain better, and scale globally.
Challenges and Transitions
The panelists acknowledged that innovation always comes with challenges. Many carriers still depend on SMS revenues, so shifting to API-based authentication requires careful business planning. Education, transparency, and new revenue models will be key to driving adoption. But as Stefan Kostic pointed out, the long-term gain which is a more secure, efficient, and developer-friendly ecosystem, far outweighs the short-term adjustment.
As the global voice of mobile operators, GSMA is playing a crucial role in pushing this innovation forward. Through its Open Gateway initiative and promotion of global API standards like TS43, GSMA is creating a common framework that accelerates carrier adoption and ensures interoperability across markets. This global alignment is essential for scaling the service and unlocking its full potential.
Looking Ahead: From Trials to Transformation
The service is already moving from concept to reality. Firebase is onboarding carriers globally, with active partnerships forming across Asia Pacific. Trials and proofs of concept are set to run through the year, opening the door for early commercial deployments soon after.
Telin are at the forefront of this momentum, helping regional carriers and developers join the movement. For enterprises, this marks a new opportunity to align security, user experience, and scalability within a unified framework.
The collaboration between Telin, Google, IPification, and GSMA signals a new era for mobile security in Asia Pacific. By bringing together carriers, platforms, and developers, this initiative represents a new era for mobile security in Asia Pacific, one where trust is built into every connection, and every user interaction is both seamless and secure.
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