News & Events

A Groundbreaking Initiative to Restore Trust in International Communications

Philippe Millet, the chair of i3forum, recently revealed an exciting initiative to restore trust in international communications with the establishment of the industry-wide One Consortium.

While we have progressively improved best practice and measures to combat Voice Fraud and made promising strides in Messaging, the fight continues. We have taken that challenge head-on with, for example, our efforts to enforce the joint i3forum/Global Leaders’ Forum (GLF) Code of Conduct, operational cooperation within the i3forum Fight Fraud Working Group, and our ongoing work on the Messaging Fraud workgroup, which builds on the work of organizations, such as MEF, GSMA or the Global Solutions Council.

However, the rapidly growing trend of unwanted/illegal communications (such as spamming, spoofing, robocalling) is posing a more significant challenge than traditional fraud. This surge is eroding the confidence of consumers, businesses, and the public in communications, leading to a rise in complaints and subsequent impact on our business.

The need is for an innovative, never-seen-before response rooted in collaboration not only within the industry but also with National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs). The urgency for cooperation has reached an all-time high. What makes this challenge unique is that any viable solution created to fight unwanted or illegal communications and restore trust should, and in fact must, involve the NRAs as they are responsible for creating the regulations. But critically, they can not fix these international problems on their own.

As required by their role, NRAs step in to safeguard the public, and while they have comprehensive authority domestically their reach on the international front remains limited. International traffic often lacks adequate cooperation between NRAs, resulting in multiple, disjointed requirements for International Carriers that are inconsistent, potentially inefficient, and costly to implement. This approach is neither sustainable for the industry nor effective in resolving the issue.

Currently, the NRAs are driving the process which is why our collaboration with them is vital, despite the fact that the traffic under discussion is often considered “legitimate” transit traffic. This issue cannot be resolved internally within the industry, marking a significant shift from traditional methods of combating fraud. This is why our initiative is not merely just another code of conduct. It’s important to note that this problem is not one that can be solved solely by NRAs or any single entity.

Our first step towards gaining the attention and cooperation of the NRAs involves demonstrating credibility, goodwill, and transparency within the industry. By unifying under this inclusive initiative launched by the i3forum and joining the One Consortium, we can work on proposals encompassing governance, self-regulation, policies, and supporting technologies. We’re not starting from scratch – numerous organizations are already working on the foundational aspects.

If we fail to take these steps, we risk living in a world where every National Regulatory Authority demands compliance with their unique requirements. However, if executed correctly, this initiative can safeguard communications and unlock untapped business potential in both retail and wholesale sectors based on Trusted Communications.

Details of the One Consortium are expected to be disclosed shortly.

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i3forum and GSC Sign MoU To Create New SMS Fraud Guidelines

· Announcement made at International Telecoms Week (ITW) 2023

· Partnership comes as i3forum launches industry-wide initiative to restore trust

· i3forum and GSC partner to establish guidelines tailored to the fight against SMS fraud 

Paris, France i3forum, a leading industry association focused on driving global collaboration and innovation within the communications sector, and the Global Solutions Council (GSC), a non-profit organization enabling the communications industry to simplify, improve, standardize, and resolve the exchange of billing and settlement information globally, have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fight against SMS fraud.

Having worked hard to establish principles and KPIs for international carriers in the fight against voice fraud, the i3forum’s Fight Fraud workgroup has now firmly set its sights on establishing new guidelines to tackle the surging threat of SMS fraud. i3forum is already in discussions with the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) to build on the great work that they’ve conceptualized and the new partnership with the GSC will help to enrich insights on the challenges of dealing with SMS fraud operationally and financially on the front line.

katia GonzalezAs the current chair of i3forum’s Fight Fraud workgroup, Katia Gonzalez, who was recently elected to the i3forum board, will be leading collaborations throughout the telecoms world to promote SMS fraud awareness and implement a unified and standardized approach to resolve and measure complex fraud issues.

“Earlier this year, the GSC raised the flag and informed us their members’ SMS services were increasingly witnessing the effects of fraud attacks and there were growing concerns around dispute management and payments,” said Gonzalez, who is also Head of Fraud Prevention and Analytics at BICS.

“Having successfully established standards and a code of conduct to combat fraud in voice, which was endorsed by the Global Leaders’ Forum (GLF), we’re looking forward to working collaboratively with the GSC to establish the same principles in the area of SMS services.”

Simon DodsworthThere are many factors that are contributing to the increase in malicious SMS fraud, including: SMS hacking, smishing, spoofing, spamming, and malware. According to the Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA) Fraud Loss Survey 2021, SMS fraud accounted for $3.65 billion in losses, but that figure is surging today.

“The GSC’s members are at the sharp end resolving and dealing with disputes and fraudulent settlements. Our partnership with i3forum gives us the opportunity to play an active role in agreeing on and creating the right principles and guidelines to combat SMS fraud,” said Executive Council Member of the GSC, Simon Dodsworth, who is also VP and Head of Voice Trading at Arelion.

“The time to collaborate is now. Our livelihoods are at stake as the speed at which messaging fraud is accelerating is like condensing the last 20 years of voice fraud evolution into a fraction of that time. Given that voice margins are declining, many companies are relying on messaging as a useful supplement to their revenues. The GSC is proud to begin work with i3forum to fight the surging existential threat facing the carrier world today.”

About i3forum

The i3forum is a non-profit industry body focused on driving global collaboration and innovation across the international communications ecosystem through an open and inclusive model. The i3forum and its community develop practical recommendations, tools, solutions, and policies to help understand consumer behavior, leverage technology, adapt to regulatory requirements, and foster trust in international communications. For more information, visit www.i3forum.org.

About Global Solutions Council

The Global Solutions Council (GSC) is a non-profit organization that was created in January 2003 by a collective of leading Carriers dedicated to meeting increased demand for flexible global electronic information exchange, billing and settlement standardization and best practices business process development to accelerate commercial resolution and performance. The GSC’s mission is to be the reference for commercial resolution in the communications industry and to provide the blueprint and advance the processes, best practices and tools that foster resolution.

Media Contact
Jason McGee-Abe
26FIVE Global Lab
i3forum@26five.com
+44 7970 237682

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