The Federal Communications Commission announced a plan to remove seven carriers who are lacking in robocall protections, according to a release.
The FCC’s Robocall Response Team ordered that Akabis, Cloud4, Global UC, Horizon Technology Group, Morse Communications, Sharon Telephone Company, and SW Arkansas Telecommunications and Technology either prove how they plan to follow the FCC's robocall regulations or risk having all calls made on those networks blocked by other, compliant networks.
The announcement comes as part of a years-long mission from the FCC to crack down on robocalls. The FCC developed STIR/SHAKEN, a robocall prevention standard that cell carriers are required to use to verify caller ID and prevent robocalls. But, according to the release, some carriers were taking the STIR/SHAKEN rules as optional.
“This is a new era. If a provider doesn’t meet its obligations under the law, it now faces expulsion from America’s phone networks,” said Chairwoman Jerrica Rosenworcel. “Fines alone aren't enough. Providers that don't follow our rules and make it easy to scam consumers will now face swift consequences.”
The seven providers were issued a mandate to implement STIR/SHAKEN-compliant procedures or provide documentation of measures they’re taking to curb robocalls within 14 days or risk being permanently booted.
The FCC has taken significant measures in recent years to stop robocalls, but has only recently started to address robotexts, a problem that is equally annoying to consumers.
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