The GSMA is working with leading mobile operators including Axiata Group Berhad, China Mobile, China Telecom, Elisa, Etisalat, KDDI, Ooredoo, Orange, Tata, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra and VimpelCom to develop an innovative new service that will allow consumers to securely access a wide array of digital services using their mobile phone number for authentication. The GSMA Mobile Connect service will simplify consumers’ lives, offering a single, trusted, mobile phone number-based authentication solution that fully respects their online privacy.

For consumers, digital identity solutions such as Mobile Connect offer privacy protection, reduce the risk of identity theft and simplify the login experience for a range of services, such as retail, government and banking, among others. Mobile Connect will provide a streamlined experience for users; they will no longer need to create and manage additional user names and passwords as authentication and identification will use the subscriber’s mobile phone number and information contained in the secure SIM card. The standard-based GSMA Mobile Connect service will utilise the OpenID Connect protocol, offering broad interoperability across mobile operators and service providers, further ensuring a seamless experience for consumers.