CelcomDigi Berhad (“CelcomDigi”) today announced a strategic collaboration with Google’s Firebase and Telenor Linx to advance secure API-as-a-Service capabilities using telco-grade network intelligence. Through this collaboration, phone number verification capabilities will be made available via Google’s Firebase platform, enabling developers to deliver secure, seamless and trusted digital onboarding experiences at scale.
With this initiative, CelcomDigi becomes the first telco in Malaysia to make network-based phone number verification services available on Google’s Firebase, redefining how users onboard and authenticate across digital services through a secure, one-tap experience.
A simpler, safer experience for everyday users
This advancement means users can now verify their mobile number instantly without relying on SMS One-Time Passwords (OTPs). When signing up for banking, e-commerce or ride-hailing apps, users no longer need to wait for an SMS code or worry about fake messages asking for OTPs. Verification happens securely in the background through a trusted connection between the app and the mobile network, reducing friction while lowering the risk of scams, phishing and OTP interception.
By replacing SMS-based OTPs with API-led verification, phone number authentication is anchored on telco-grade network intelligence and enhanced by cloud-native scalability. This ensures higher security, greater reliability and a more seamless digital experience for end users.
Driving digital trust through APIs
The collaboration marks a milestone in CelcomDigi’s commitment to strengthening digital trust across Malaysia’s digital ecosystem. By enabling safer and more reliable digital onboarding, the initiative helps reduce exposure to common fraud vectors such as phishing, SIM-based attacks and artificial traffic.
At the same time, the initiative supports CelcomDigi’s efforts to offer API-as-a-Service (APIaaS) by making trusted telco capabilities available in a simple and developer-friendly way. Through secure APIs, businesses can integrate network-based verification directly into their digital platforms, enhancing security and user experience without adding complexity.
Empowering developers and enterprises
Through the APIaaS model, businesses can:
✅Enable faster, frictionless onboarding with one-tap mobile number verification
✅Reduce dependency on SMS OTPs and associated operational costs
✅Mitigate artificial traffic and fraud risks
✅Enhance user trust, engagement and conversion rates
✅Build scalable, cloud-native authentication flows for digital services
CelcomDigi’s Chief Innovation Officer, T. Kugan said, “We are applying network intelligence to improve how people experience digital services. By offering APIaaS, we enable enterprises and developers to integrate secure, network-led phone number verification into their applications, making digital onboarding simpler, safer and more reliable for end users. This reflects CelcomDigi’s commitment to continue playing a key role in enabling a more secure and trusted digital economy for the nation.”
Micah Baker, Phone Number Verification Product Lead at Google Firebase said, “Developers are increasingly looking for ways to deliver seamless user experiences without compromising security. By integrating telco APIs with Google’s Firebase, this collaboration helps developers build faster and more reliable authentication flows, while reducing reliance on vulnerable SMS-based methods.”
Stig Atle Waagbø, CEO of Telenor Linx said, “Today, CelcomDigi’s subscribers are the true winners. Authentication has become an essential part of every digital journey to combat fraud and fake accounts. Yet the user experience has often been suboptimal, while fraud has grown more sophisticated. With Firebase Phone Number Verification, we reduce both friction and fraud by combining telco-grade network intelligence with elegant APIs. Telenor Linx is proud to support Google and CelcomDigi in enabling a safer, seamless, and more trusted digital future.”
Advancing CelcomDigi’s API ecosystem
This initiative builds on CelcomDigi’s ongoing efforts to expand its API ecosystem and support safer digital services. Through partnerships such as Aduna, Bridge Alliance, and PayNet, CelcomDigi works with regional and global partners to enable interoperable and trusted telco APIs that support digital onboarding, fraud mitigation and cross-border digital services.
