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Infobip Launches SIM-Based Number Verification, and Operators Get a New Revenue Lane

4 hours ago

5 min read

Infobip just put a new tool in front of mobile operators, and it is aimed squarely at the thing almost every business still uses to log people in: the text message code.

Infobip has launched its SIM-based Number Verification solution, helping telecom operators worldwide accelerate the adoption of SIM-based Number Verification through Network API aggregation and enterprise onboarding. In plain English, Infobip is acting as a middleman. It connects carriers that own the network with the banks, apps and retailers that want a safer way to confirm who is on the other end of a phone.

What "SIM-based Number Verification" actually means

Strip out the jargon and it works like this. Instead of texting you a six digit code, the app asks the mobile network a question: is the phone number this user claims to own really tied to the SIM card sitting in this device right now? The network answers. Nothing is typed in.

That is what the industry calls silent authentication, meaning the check happens in the background with no code for the user to copy. The approach uses the SIM and mobile network as a trusted identity layer, enabling silent authentication without one-time passwords or manual code entry by proving actual possession of the mobile phone number.

Infobip says the verification is done cryptographically, which just means the check is secured with math rather than a code a human reads off a screen. By using the SIM as the trust anchor and cryptographically verifying through the mobile network that the number belongs to the SIM in the device, the approach is intended to reduce fraud risk, improve user experience and enable faster authentication across both cellular and Wi-Fi environments.

One detail worth flagging for anyone who tried older network verification products and gave up: Infobip says it also supports more modern consent and token based flows while reducing dependence on mobile-data-only verification. Older versions often broke the moment a customer hopped onto Wi-Fi.

Why operators care: the OTP problem

The one-time password, that six digit SMS code, has been the default second step for a decade. It is also where a lot of fraud now lives. As fraud, delivery challenges, cost pressure and regulatory scrutiny continue reshaping the authentication landscape, operators and enterprises are increasingly looking for stronger alternatives to one-time passwords.

Carriers have been chipping away at the fraud side from several angles at once. We covered one example when AT&T rolled out new spam and scam protection features. Number verification is the other half of the same fight: stopping the bad actor before they get into the account, not after.

The business angle is straightforward. Infobip frames the initiative as helping mobile network operators create new authentication revenue opportunities while enabling enterprises to move beyond traditional OTP. Infobip connects operators with enterprise authentication demand through its Network API aggregation, giving enterprises access to operator-grade authentication through a single integration. Rather than every bank negotiating with every carrier in every country, the aggregator handles the plumbing.

Infobip is not a newcomer to this lane. The company was recognized as the Established Leader in Juniper Research's competitor leaderboard for CPaaS, CPaaS being the category of cloud platforms businesses use to send messages and make calls through code.

It is also building out partnerships on the identity side. A July 2026 announcement said Shush Inc. welcomed Infobip as a global demand partner, bringing the Shush platform to a major omnichannel communications provider and advancing carrier-grade identity and fraud prevention.

The bigger picture: network APIs are finally being sold

This launch sits inside a much larger industry shift. Carriers spent years talking about opening up network functions to developers. Now they are trying to charge for it.

GSMA Intelligence reported that the GSMA Open Gateway initiative covers 79% of global mobile market share as of its 2025 State of the Market report, a 3% increase since December 2024, with 73 operator groups representing 285 networks committed to the programme. The same report noted that growth has stabilised as the focus shifted to monetisation, and that fifteen new channel partners joined in the first half of 2025, bringing the total to 43 companies.

Translation: the pipes are built. The question now is who pays, and how much. Nobody has published standard public pricing for number verification APIs, so treat any dollar figure you see quoted secondhand with caution and ask the vendor directly.

Who this actually affects

Be honest about the reach here. This news lands hardest on one segment and only glances off the others.

Mobile network operators and larger MVNOs. This is the direct audience. If you own or resell network capacity at scale, authentication is a possible new line item.
Call centers and BPOs. Caller identity checks are a daily headache. Silent verification could shorten handle times, though your platform vendor has to support it first.
ISPs and home security dealers. Account takeover protection matters for your customer portals too. Ask your software provider whether network verification is on their roadmap.
Retail stores and repair shops. Little changes at the counter today. Over time, fewer customers stuck waiting on a text code during activation would be a welcome side effect.

For small independent dealers, the honest read is that this is a wholesale layer story. You will feel it indirectly, through the carriers and platforms you already work with.

What to do with this

A few practical moves, none of them urgent:

Ask your carrier or master agent whether network API products are part of their 2026 roadmap, and whether partners share in that revenue.
If you run accounts with customer logins, ask your software vendor what their plan is for replacing SMS codes.
Watch the aggregator layer. The companies sitting between carriers and enterprises tend to define who gets paid.
Get any revenue-share or API contract reviewed by a qualified attorney before you sign. Contract terms in this space are new and still moving.

None of this guarantees a new income stream for anyone. Some analysts expect network APIs to become a meaningful operator revenue category, but adoption could take years and will vary by market.

If you are thinking about where your next revenue line comes from, start with the partners you already have. Browse the master agent and wholesale distributor list to see who you could be asking these questions, or compare programs on the MobileX master agent page. Our guide to revenue streams beyond Lifeline enrollments covers the nearer-term options, and if you are not yet set up with a carrier, start with carrier and MVNO verification.