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The telecoms industry has rallied to the call of FCC chairman Tom Wheeler to do more to address the problem of unwanted automated calls.
AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson revealed that Apple, Google, Ericsson, and Nokia are among 33 industry partners that have joined a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) programme to curb unwanted automated calls.
Speaking at the first meeting of the FCC’s Robocall Strike Force, Stephenson explained that such broad industry backing is essential to stifle growth in the number of unwanted automated calls. The very fact that the number of robocalls is increasing shows that the industry’s current “piecemeal” approach is having “limited success” he said.
FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said in July that robocalls “are currently the number one complaint the FCC receives from consumers.” He said the commission is “committed to protecting consumers from unwanted calls and giving them more control over the calls and texts they receive.”
Stephenson said that carriers, device makers, OS developers, and network designers must work together with lawmakers and regulators to address robocalls, noting that the companies perpetrating such calls are “a formidable adversary,” and that the problem is not a “simple issue to address.”
Strike force partners have committed to implement VoIP caller ID verification standards once they are finalised, adopt SS7 security for VoIP calls where viable, evaluate the feasibility of a ‘do not originate’ list, develop and implement solutions to block unwanted calls, and to help carriers deploy such call blocking technologies on their networks.
Stephenson said several subcommittees were formed during the inaugural strike force meeting to lead short- and long-term technical initiatives designed to tackle unwanted automated calls. Those initiatives will be led by technical experts from companies including Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Level2, Nokia, Samsung, Sprint, and Verizon.
The strike force also pledged to deliver “concrete plans to accelerate the development and adoption of new tools and solutions” to the FCC by 19 October. Those plans will also include “recommendations to the FCC on the role government should play in this battle.”
