The FCC is targeting phone service providers that carry illegal robocalls, aiming to stop unwanted calls before they reach consumers.
Its latest action cuts Digital Solutions off U.S. networks after the company carried prerecorded calls promoting fraudulent loans and tax relief.
The crackdown is part of a broader effort to hold telecommunications providers responsible for following rules designed to reduce illegal calls.
For consumers tired of phones ringing with suspicious offers and recorded sales pitches, the Federal Communications Commission is taking aim at the companies that help those calls reach their destinations.
This week, the FCC announced that it was prohibiting Digital Solutions Inc. from connecting to U.S. networks for failing to comply with its robocall rules. According to the agency, the provider came to its attention by carrying illegal prerecorded calls offering fraudulent financial loans and tax relief.
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a final determination ordering carriers to stop carrying the company’s traffic. The action targets a route used to deliver illegal calls to consumers, with the goal of preventing those calls from reaching their phones.
Stopping calls before phones ring
The approach places responsibility on the telecommunications companies involved in moving calls through the phone system. Blocking a provider’s traffic can interrupt that delivery process before consumers have to decide whether to answer, hang up or block another number.
The FCC describes combating illegal robocalls, including calls using falsified caller ID information, as its top consumer protection priority. Its strategy includes enforcement throughout the call’s path and requirements intended to help providers identify and limit illegal traffic.
Digital Solutions is the latest provider affected by that strategy. On Sept. 2, the FCC removed 14 companies from its Robocall Mitigation Database for failing to comply with robocall rules. It ordered U.S. voice service providers and intermediate providers to begin blocking their traffic within two days.
Those actions show how the agency is using access to U.S. phone networks as an enforcement tool. Providers that fail to meet the requirements can lose the ability to deliver calls through other carriers.
What consumers can do
The latest action targets one provider, so consumers should continue using available protections against unwanted calls.
The Federal Trade Commission recommends call-blocking tools offered by phone companies or other services. Consumers who answer an unwanted robocall should hang up rather than follow instructions or press buttons to speak with someone or get removed from a list.
Registering a number at DoNotCall.gov can reduce sales calls from legitimate businesses that follow the law. It will not stop scammers who disregard the registry, which is why blocking tools and enforcement against the providers carrying illegal calls remain important.