The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to implement a new scorecard system designed to allow consumers to evaluate their telecommunications providers' effectiveness in combating unwanted robocalls. This initiative aims to increase transparency and encourage providers to enhance their anti-robocall measures.
The proposed scorecard will not prescribe specific technical solutions but will instead focus on broad goals, including creating a public guide for assessing how well providers prevent robocalls and how transparent they are with their metrics. The FCC seeks a comprehensive set of metrics that reflect both operational practices and measurable outcomes, such as the frequency of legitimate calls being blocked, rather than a simple checklist of tools offered or paperwork filed.
The system is intended for domestic voice service providers with retail customers, encompassing wireless, wireline, VoIP, and hybrid networks. The agency is soliciting public comment on various aspects, including whether to concentrate on larger providers or exclude smaller or regional networks. The FCC plans to publish the scorecard results as a consumer tool to understand provider performance, emphasizing that it is not a rulemaking process that will impose new regulations.
However, the FCC has identified several federal data systems that it believes would be suitable for evaluating companies. These include filings from the Robocall Mitigation Database, data from the FCC Consumer Complaints Center, and FCC enforcement action data. Additionally, the agency plans to incorporate third-party or industry sources such as Industry Traceback Group data and Federal Trade Commission complaint data.
The announcement of the scorecard system coincided with another FCC action against illegal robocalling. The agency removed 14 telecommunications providers from the Robocall Mitigation Database for failing to comply with anti-robocalling standards, including STIR/SHAKEN protocols. These protocols are crucial for validating legitimate network traffic and identifying malicious actors.
Removal from the database effectively severs a company's connection to U.S. telecom networks, with FCC regulations requiring other U.S. providers to block all traffic from violators within two days. The FCC stated that these 14 companies did not take necessary steps after being informed that their database certifications were out of compliance.
The providers removed from the database are Apps Communications, CFX Business Solutions, Conference America, Convergence Technology Solutions, CSB Technologies, Digital Division, Dixie Net Communications, HighComm, Inatech Solutions, makrodepot, Opex Communications, ReachME, SECURE, and SkyCom Healthcare.
FCC officials have consistently highlighted robocalling as one of the most frequent consumer complaints, and these actions reflect the agency's multifaceted approach to addressing the issue. The FCC Chair, Brendan Carr, affirmed the agency's commitment to tackling illegal robocalls at every stage of the call path, stressing that all entities within the ecosystem have an obligation to protect consumers from fraud and scams.
