APIs in Telecom
Apis Training, a member of the Camara Project, offers this course as a comprehensive introduction to APIs in the telecom sector. It covers key principles, essential protocols, and practical real-world applications, equipping participants with the knowledge to leverage APIs effectively.
Upcoming Public Event
Date: 10-11 November 2026
Hours: 09:00 – 16:00 CET (day 1) 09:00 – 13:00 (day 2)
Format: Classroom in Copenhagen
Price: € 1 870
CONTENTS
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the use of APIs in the telecom sector, covering essential principles, protocols, and real-world applications. Participants will explore how APIs enable automation, scalability, and innovation in telecom services, from billing and network management to 5G and IoT integrations.
Special attention is given to three initiatives: TM Forum’s Open APIs, GSMA’s Open Gateway and CAMARA. In the end we see a natural evolution of CAMARA with Aduna. Throughout the course we show how AI connects to telecom APIs: intent-based and AI management APIs from TM Forum, and MCP, which lets AI agents use TM Forum and CAMARA APIs as tools.
With hands-on labs and case studies, learners will gain practical skills in API development, security, and management, tailored to the unique demands of telecom networks, and will build AI agents on top of the APIs they implement. This course is ideal for professionals aiming to enhance their expertise in API-driven telecom solutions.
TARGET AUDIENCE
This course is suitable for anyone in telecom looking to leverage APIs for automation, interoperability, and scalability.
Telecom Professionals and Engineers
System architects, network engineers, and developers who design, maintain, or create applications for telecom networks, requiring knowledge of telecom APIs and standards.
IT and Software Development Experts
API developers, backend engineers, and cybersecurity analysts interested in telecom-specific protocols, security practices, and data privacy.
Telecom Business and Operations Leaders
Operations and technical project managers focused on enhancing efficiency, automation, and API lifecycle management in telecom.
Innovators in 5G, IoT, and AI for Telecom
Specialists in 5G, IoT, and AI seeking to leverage APIs for network slicing, IoT integration, customer service, analytics, and AI agents
Course outline
• History of Telecom vs Computer Industry: Why is there a difference in evolution and innovation? Challenges in early collaboration.
• Drivers of Convergence: What are the factors that are helping both industries to come closer.
• Virtualisation: Evolution of Physical servers to VMs - we can virtualise the hardware.
• Containers: Evolution of VMs to Containers - we can virtualise the OS too.
• Cloud Computing: Infrastructure on demand - scalability at our fingertips.
• Data-driven services: Increased demand for data drives the industry forward.
• SDN and NFV: Provisioning, monitoring, and managing network resources as software.
• Telecom specific protocols: First attempts at providing extra services via telecom specific protocols.
• What is an API
• API Types
• REST APIs: REST vs Web calls. Components and Use cases. GET, POST, PUT, DELETE REST calls.
• SOAP APIs: Features and examples. Components and Use Cases. SOAP Requests and Responses. Error handling with SOAP.
• GraphQL APIs: Advantages and examples. Components. Facebook Graph API, Microsoft Graph API.
• REST vs SOAP vs GraphQL: Protocols, Message Formats, Transport, State, Error Handling, Performance and Use Cases.
• Common Use Cases: Billing APIs, Provisioning APIs, Network Management APIs, Customer Data APIs
• API Architecture: Typical API Architecture in Telecoms today.
• API Scaling: Why is scaling important? Best Practices on achieving easy scalability.
• API Security: Common Threats and Best Practices.
• API Containerisation: Microservices as Containers - architectural style and tools for implementation
• API Interoperability: Why is interoperability important? Best practices for achieving it.
• API Architecture examples: Dynamic scaling, IoT, 5G success stories.
• History of 5G
• Evolution to 5G Core Networks: From Legacy Protocols to Modern Architectures based on APIs and the IP protocol.
• 5G SBIs: Service Based Interfaces - Benefits and Advantages
• 5G Innovations: Smart Network Exposure, Dynamic Network Management, Edge Computing Integration
• 5G Use Cases
• 5G Network Slicing: Paid Tiers, MVNO, Slices for custom needs
• Challenges with custom APIs: A lot of custom APIs lead to reduced innovation.
• OpenAPI - Introduction and History: One API standard to rule them all - finally a standard specification for APIs.
• OpenAPI – Structure: OpenAPI yaml file components: openapi, info, paths, responses, content, schema …
• OpenAPI – Tools: An array of tools for designing, documenting, testing, validating and code generation of Open APIs.
• OpenAPI - Role and Benefits in Telecom Goals, Challenges and Benefits.
• OpenAPI - Use Cases in Telecom: Mobile Payments, IoT, Smart Cities, Network Slicing …
• OpenAPI - REST Exercises: Goal: Implement an API using the OpenAPI specification from idea to implementation and runtime. Tools covered: Swagger Editor, Swagger UI, Swagger Codegen, VSCode OpenAPI (Swagger) Editor, Postman.
• OpenAPI - AI Exercises: Goal: Change the API with an AI assistant (spec first, then code, then tests), and let an AI agent use any OpenAPI specification as its tools. Tools covered: AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot), Node.js test runner, Claude API.
• TMForum - Introduction and History
• TMForum - Adoption and Members: A large number of telecom companies have adopted TMForums initiatives.
• TMForum – Initiatives: ODA, Open APIs, Business Process Framework, Information Framework
• ODA - Open Digital Architecture History, Goal and Components
• OpenAPI - History and Vision: Role of Open APIs in ODA and growth over time.
• OpenAPI - Features, Adoption and Benefits Standardisation, modularity, global reach.
• OpenAPI - Open API Dictionary: A single place for all TMForum’s Open APIs.
• OpenAPI - Status 2026: Version 5 on OpenAPI 3, Conformance Test Kits, joint GSMA and TM Forum certification.
• OpenAPI – Implementation: A compressed guide on phases for implementation of TMForums OpenAPIs. From planning to runtime and beyond.
• TM Forum and AI: Autonomous Networks, intent-based operations, AI governance and the AI-Native ODA Canvas.
• TMF921 Intent Management API: An intent states what to achieve, not how. Intent owners, intent handlers and intent reports, with an AI agent as the intent owner.
• TMF915 AI Management API: Governing AI models in production with model contracts and violation alarms.
• Open APIs used by AI agents: Open APIs that give agents data (alarms, performance, usage) and let them act (inventory, intent).
• TM Forum and MCP: Open APIs as tools for AI agents: MCP server definitions for Open APIs and agentic ODA.
• TMForum’s OpenAPI - Hands-on Exercise: Goal: Explore the Open API directory. Implement the TMF921 Intent Management API from its OpenAPI specification (Java Spring Boot) with a simulated intent handler, expose it through an MCP server, and let an AI agent negotiate an intent with the network.
• Open Gateway - Introduction and History: What is Open Gateway and its purpose? Brief history.
• Open Gateway - Features and Adoption: What are the key features, how is the adoption rate going so far?
• API List: Observe and discuss the full list of GSMA’s Open Gateway APIs.
• CAMARA - Introduction and History: What is CAMARA and who is involved in its development.
• Relationship between CAMARA, Open Gateway and TMForum’s OpenAPI Close relations and collaborations between the 3 initiatives. Key differences.
• CAMARA - Release Cycle: The new Signal / Sync release model. What the Fall25, Spring26 and Sync26 releases bring.
• CAMARA - Stable APIs: Discussion of all CAMARA stable APIs and their current versions.
  o Device Reachability Status API
  o Device Roaming Status API
  o Device Location API
  o Number Verification API
  o One-Time Password SMS API
  o QoS Profiles API
  o Quality on Demand API
  o Sim Swap API
  o Device Swap API
  o Simple Edge Discovery API
• CAMARA - Commonalities and Identity & Consent Management: Common API design rules, security and consent, and their latest updates.
• CAMARA APIs - Architecture
  o Authentication and authorisation
  o User Consent
  o 5G and 3GPP standards
  o Custom and legacy Telecom APIs
  o API Gateway
• CAMARA and AI: MCP makes any CAMARA API a tool for an AI agent. Scenarios: fraud prevention, onboarding, quality on demand, logistics, IoT.
• CAMARA API - Hands-on Exercise: Goal: Analyse the CAMARA stable APIs. Implement the CAMARA SIM Swap API from its OpenAPI specification, run it in Docker and Kubernetes, expose it through an MCP server, and build an AI fraud agent that uses it.
• CAMARA - Challenges in Scaling: Why is CAMARA still not easy enough for developers.
• ADUNA – Overview: What it is, Why it matters, Who is behind it, Milestones 2025 and 2026, Global footprint.
• ADUNA - Benefits for CAMARA: What benefits do operators get from CAMARA + Aduna.
• ADUNA - Numbers and Use Cases: Adoption so far, customers and the main use cases.
• ADUNA – APIs: Number Verification, SIM Swap and KYC Match, the roadmap, operator coverage.
• ADUNA - How to use it: Developer platform partners. Vonage Integration Workflow.
• ADUNA and AI: AI agents as the next consumers of network APIs.
Prerequisites
This course is accessible to beginners with some IT background but will be most beneficial for those with prior exposure to telecom or software development fundamentals.
Basic Understanding of Telecom Concepts
Familiarity with telecom services and terms, such as network management, provisioning, and CRM, is helpful but not mandatory.
Foundational Knowledge of APIs
Basic understanding of what APIs are, including common types like REST and SOAP, and how they generally function.
Technical Background in IT or Software Development
Experience with programming concepts, especially with HTTP requests and JSON, will help learners get the most out of hands-on labs and coding examples. The labs use Node.js, Java and Docker; no prior experience with AI is needed.
Awareness of Networking and Security Principles
Basic knowledge of networking (e.g., IP, DNS) and security practices, including authentication methods (OAuth, API keys), will be beneficial for sections on telecom API security.