Global revenue from mobile identity application programming interfaces (APIs) will reach USD 22 billion in 2029, an increase from the USD 2.4 billion recorded in 2025, according to a recent study conducted by Juniper Research.
This substantial growth over the next four years will be fueled by the increasing adoption of network APIs that authenticate users through operator networks rather than SMSs.
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Mobile identity services use a mobile subscriber's phone number to verify users' identities in sectors such as banking, healthcare, and online retail through messaging or API calls. The study highlights a group of emerging 'verification APIs' that are expected to revolutionize traditional mobile identity solutions like one-time passwords (OTPs) over the next four years.
Specifically, APIs that cross-check the phone number used during sign-up with the phone number accessing the mobile network are predicted to drive API growth in mobile identity. Juniper Research anticipates that the enhanced security provided by this API, including protection against spoofing, will offer more value to digital service providers compared to SMS-based authentication.
To ensure sustainable API growth, the report suggests that mobile identity vendors should limit the number of API calls users can make to prevent misuse. Researcher, Georgia Allen, stated, “APIs now cost about the same as SMS, but the added security from APIs alone is enough to convince businesses to switch their mobile identity traffic quickly.”
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