YouMail released a new robocall warning, saying that utility-related impostor robocalls are posing a concern to Americans. These utility scam calls claiming to be from major American gas, electric, and other utilities in order to swindle unwary victims by threatening them with instant disconnection if their “utility bills” are not paid quickly. The specifics of the scam calls differ, but they typically claim that the user’s service is going to be terminated and that they need to click a key to make a payment or speak to someone at the business. Some calls are made from an entirely random phone number and mention a generic firm name. Others link to certain departments by using a local phone number with the recipient’s area code. Some of them utilize a spoofed caller ID from a well-known utility business. Apparently, these con artists are seeking to exploit the growing number of…
PLDT and Omnispace to develop space-based 5G In order to create space-based 5G applications, US satellite and communications company Omnispace has partnered with the wireless arm of Philippine telecom PLDT, Smart. The goal of the partnership is to use LEO satellites to investigate and demonstrate the potential of 5G communications. This comes after the debut of Omnispace Spark’s first phase, which the business bills as “the world’s first global 5G-capable satellite network.” The list of potential use cases includes expanding network coverage for disaster relief, allowing 5G connection in remote locations and more. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/32zdkdrm AT&T donates to digital literacy programs 65,000 individuals are expected to benefit from AT&T’s digital literacy programs by learning how to use computers and mobile devices securely and responsibly. More than 400 libraries and community centers will get bilingual, in-person digital literacy training as part of AT&T’s $6 million in donations. The lessons…
CMA probes ViaSat acquisition of Inmarsat The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of the UK has said that it is starting its own investigation into ViaSat’s acquisition of Inmarsat. The two operators had initially expressed their expectations that the transaction would conclude in the middle of 2022, with input from different regulatory organizations. By October 5, the CMA is anticipated to decide if a thorough probe into this transaction is necessary. The merged corporation will initially operate a fleet of 19 satellites in various orbits and spectrum regions, with ten more in the works. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y8zcwwtz FCC stops subsidies for SpaceX Starlink The FCC has refused to approve the Starlink proposal, stating that it was uncertain if the technology could reach the advertised speeds in its current state. The regulator highlighted that Ookla’s most recent projections indicated a reduction in the speeds Starlink may offer in 2022. According…
Ofcom has a plan for phone boxes Under new guidelines published by the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, stronger security for public call boxes went into effect. The new guidelines update from Ofcom’s aims to guarantee that strategically located phone boxes are not removed and that they are modified to provide extra services. As a result, phone boxes will be protected against removal if they are still needed by a local community. Millions of UK residents continue to rely on older technologies such as landlines and payphones for connectivity. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mryanv67 TIM to cut 1,200 jobs to minimize costs TIM has reportedly secured an agreement with labor unions that will allow the company to cut up to 1,200 positions, allowing TIM to save significantly on domestic personnel expenses. Cuts will be implemented through a voluntary early retirement program, which will be the first step in the Italian incumbent’s larger…
T-Mobile has announced their collaboration with CTIA, the wireless industry association, to create best practices for new and improved Caller ID features for corporations. Businesses and organizations will be able to provide confirmed calls with an immediately identifiable Caller ID display, including the organization’s logo or name, on compatible handsets using this new Branded Caller ID (BCI) service. BCI, according to the company, builds on the STIR/SHAKEN framework’s verification by affirmatively identifying businesses or organizations that are calling, such as doctor’s offices and banks, so that these parties can reach their customers, who are currently reluctant to answer unknown numbers and may miss important and wanted calls. In the summer of 2021, T-Mobile USA showcased this technology. According to T-Mobile research, in 2021, 78% of consumers missed an essential call because they did not identify the caller. Trusted calling is more vital than ever for customers and organizations…
Technology is rapidly progressing, resulting in a significant acceleration in technological advancements. Technological improvements have boosted innovation, agility and market development. Telecommunications is one of those businesses where experts debate which developments will have the most influence in the near future, as the latest technologies are essential in a fast-moving and fast-changing sector like telecoms. Now that we are getting closer to the start of 2022, it is time to look at the trends that will influence the telecom business in order to better grasp how this sector will change in the coming year. So, let us take a look at some technological advancements so you know what to look forward to and embrace. Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6 is a Wi-Fi network with an extendeds range, allowing for a higher density of connected devices, and providing faster communications. For starters, expanding Wi-Fi 6 networks will increase capacity, speed and reduce…
Most phones today allow users to see the calling party’s phone number before they answer. This feature is called Caller ID or Calling Line Identity (CLI). It lets people know who is calling and decide whether they want to answer the call or not. However, callers and criminals can purposely change the Caller ID so that the incoming call appears to originate from a trusted entity. This disingenuous practice is better known as spoofing. Unfortunately, there are more and more cases where callers and criminals purposefully change the caller ID in order to commit fraud. What is Caller ID spoofing? Spoofing occurs when a caller knowingly falsifies the information transmitted onto your phone screen, known as caller ID, to hide their true identity. Scammers often use the so-called ‘neighbors’ spoofing technique. When this technique is used, the incoming call appears to come from a local phone number. It could be…
Robocalls are not only annoying, they are potentially dangerous and are progressively becoming an even bigger problem. Sadly, it does not look like the situation will improve in 2021, as there were 22.8 billion total robocalls recorded at the midway point of 2020. Robocalls are phone calls made by an automatic dialer that transmits pre-recorded messages. While this may not seem like an issue, it can be. Some robotic calls may be from legitimate sources, but they may also be scams designed to deceive or bully people to provide personal information.
With Christmas just around the corner, we want to share with you 12 articles to read for the 12 days of Christmas. The best gift you can give to yourself is personal growth and autodidacticism. We hope this collection of articles will help you in the journey of self-education about VoIP and the Telecom sector. Finding the best VoIP phone systems for your business is an important task, especially if you plan to compete with more experienced industry participants or to expand business internationally. When choosing a VoIP phone for your office, it is essential to select one that best fits your company. Now it is a great time to move from a traditional service provider to a VoIP solution, considering the new technologies and advances in VoIP business phone systems. Full article: https://voip.review/2020/11/23/how-to-set-up-voip-for-your-office/ Maintaining an edge over competition, staying on track with ever-shifting customer needs and seeing steady revenue…
Robocalls calls have become a plague. It is estimated that Americans alone received more than 58.5 billion robocalls in 2019. While some robotic calls may be from legitimate sources, they can also be scams seeking to deceive or bully people to provide personal information.
Early on, robocalls were easy to detect and ignore because the calls came from an area code you did not recognize. However, the scam has become much more sophisticated with the increase in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) dialing, which makes it relatively easy to “spoof” a phone number so that the caller ID shows a different number than the one actually calling.