Discover how GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA’s Number Verification 2.0 moves beyond OTPs to network-based identity, helping enterprises reduce fraud and improve digital authentication.
For more than a decade, the mobile number has quietly become the backbone of digital identity. Banks, fintech companies, e‑commerce platforms and even government services have relied on a simple belief: if a user can receive a message/ code on a phone number, that user must be genuine. Even while logging in to the websites/ portal, it doesn’t know if she is a real human or an AI.
Enterprises today are dealing with a very different reality. Fraud is growing faster than digital adoption. OTPs are intercepted, SIMs are swapped, codes on calls are forwarded and malware routinely bypasses app‑level controls. At the same time, customers are losing patience with multi-factor authentication, OTP delivery delays, SMS lost and broken login journeys. Resulting in difficult compromise between security and user experience and most organizations are struggling to balance between the two.
This is where a fundamental shift is taking shape. Digital identity is no longer about receiving an OTP and typing it in. It is about confirming that the user is present on the network. Number Verification 2.0 enables this new way of verifying mobile numbers.
Current Identity Authentication is falling behind the Modern Fraud Techniques
Mobile numbers became digital identity by default. OTPs were easy to deploy, universally understood and effective. But over time, their weaknesses became obvious:
- OTPs prove message delivery, not user authenticity
- SIM swap attacks bypass OTPs entirely
- SMS-based verification adds friction and cost
- Failure rates rise during peak traffic or roaming
- OTP delays and drops are very common
In other words, enterprises have been authenticating channels, not users. As digital transactions scale and fraud becomes more sophisticated, that model is no longer sustainable.
The Shift: From Mobile based OTP to Network based Identity Verification
CAMARA’s Number Verification 2.0 marks a clear shift from how mobile numbers have been verified until now. Instead of asking “Can I reach this number?”, NV 2.0 asks a far more powerful question:
“Is the real user, on the real device, actively present on the mobile network right now accessing a particular application?”
Verification no longer depends on sending OTPs or prompting users with codes. It happens inside the mobile network and leveraging real-time signals.
The result is a deterministic, low-latency trust signal — delivered via APIs — that enterprises can use instantly in their authentication and risk engines.
This is identity without friction. Security without user intervention and effort.
What Number Verification 2.0 unlocks for Enterprises
The real power of NV 2.0 lies in the new business use cases it enables.
- OTP-less Login at Scale
- Stronger Fraud Prevention Where It Matters Most
- Faster Onboarding and Account Recovery
- Works on Mobile Network as well as WIFI
To summarise, NV 2.0 reshapes digital journeys.
Why This Matters to Telcos
For mobile operators, Number Verification 2.0 represents something even bigger. For years, networks have been the most trusted layer in the digital ecosystem, but that trust was never directly monetized. NV 2.0 changes that notion.
By exposing network-verified identity signals through standardized APIs, telcos move up the value chain:
- From connectivity providers to trust providers
- From infrastructure to enterprise-grade platforms
- From volume-driven revenue to high-margin digital services
Importantly, NV 2.0 is often the first network API that enterprises adopt. It solves a real and immediate problem. Once integrated, it opens the door to a broader portfolio of network-powered capabilities.
How Number Verification 2.0 improves the End-User Experience
From a customer’s perspective, Number Verification 2.0 removes unnecessary friction from critical digital journeys. Login, transaction authorization and account recovery happen seamlessly, without waiting for OTPs or switching between apps. Authentication becomes faster and more consistent, even during peak traffic or roaming scenarios. Users experience stronger security without additional
effort and thus reinforcing trust while preserving the speed and simplicity expected from modern banking and financial platforms.
The Foundation of Network-based Identity Verification
Number Verification 2.0 is not an isolated innovation. It is the foundation of a larger transformation.
As networks open-up securely and consistently across markets, enterprises gain access to identity signals that were previously fragmented or unavailable – device trust, SIM integrity, real-time presence and many more. Together, these signals are shaping a future where digital trust is built into the network, not bolted onto applications.
This is the emergence of network-based identity as a service.
The Road Ahead
For enterprises, Number Verification 2.0 offers a practical path to reduce fraud, remove authentication friction and improve user experience without changing their behaviour.
For mobile operators, it represents a tangible opportunity to monetize network trust through scalable, standards-aligned APIs and deepen engagement with enterprise customers. If you are exploring how CAMARA complied and GSMA certified network-based identity can fit into your digital strategy — now is the time to start that conversation with us.
Whether you are evaluating use cases, designing authentication flows or planning your Network API roadmap, understanding how Number Verification 2.0 applies to real-world journeys is the first step.
