The UK telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, has announced new regulations that will force phone companies to take action against fake phone number usage by detecting and, where possible, banning spoofed calls. This action tries to address an issue that has led to 40.8 million people becoming the subject of fraudulent calls and messages throughout the summer of 2022. Technical steps to combat nuisance calls have already been put in place by the vast majority of the large ISPs, phone companies and mobile network operators, although these measures are not always successful. Furthermore, there are still many operators that could do more, notably smaller providers and some VoIP carriers. According to the telecom watchdog, preventing such calls without substantial international cooperation and coordination is technically complex and frequently risks intercepting legitimate communications as well. According to Ofcom, around 700,000 UK residents have fallen victim to spoofed phone calls in…
Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently one of the most talked-about and experimented-with technologies in practically every sector. Being amongst the most significant new technical advances, AI has major implications for Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and Unified Communications (UC). With its numerous capabilities, VoIP telephony is already transforming the communication capabilities of many businesses. However, when AI technology becomes an active participant, the efficiency and potential of this market will skyrocket. So, let us see how AI will revolutionize and influence VoIP, and how this technology will become an essential component in all corporate processes. How AI works in VoIP VoIP service providers are always adding new features to their VoIP services in order to attract consumers on both individual and business levels. With the inclusion of AI in communications, new market opportunities are anticipated to emerge. This is why AI has become an essential factor in several VoIP and…
Telinta, a global leader in cloud-based softswitch solutions for UCaaS and VoIP service providers, has announced a unique enhancement to its TeliGlobeTM Brandable Mobile VoIP solution. End users can download Telinta’s free Mobile Softphone application from both Google Play and Apple iTunes. Telinta customers now have the option to enable new end users to open an account and sign up for VoIP services directly from the brandable app. The new “in-app” sign-up capability joins TeliGlobe’s existing option for online sign-up using a browser, and is available to Telinta customers using TeliGlobe Brandable at no additional cost. The new capability also provides Telinta customers with the option to offer free calling as a promotional incentive, enabling prospective users to make a few test calls, for which the Telinta customer can securely predefine a spending limit, set allowable destinations, and more. TeliGlobe offers an extremely affordable way for ITSPs and…
Ribbon Communications, a global provider of communications software, IP, and optical networking solutions to service providers, companies, and critical infrastructure sectors, has announced that its Session Border Controllers have been certified for Google’s new SIP Link. Customers can use Google SIP Link to link their existing carrier to Google via a network of certified Session Border Controllers (SBC). This adaptability enables the use of existing telecommunications infrastructure while maintaining continuous service with the user’s current carrier. The extensive enterprise SBC portfolio from Ribbon, which is installed in service provider networks all over the world, provides businesses with call encryption, secure telecom connectivity to help prevent fraud and unauthorized access, as well as protection for the larger enterprise data network from malicious users. These SBCs have undergone extensive testing to ensure that they offer strong SIP security and compatibility, including with traditional PBXs, contact centers, analog devices, SIP…
Inmarsat, a major supplier of international mobile satellite communications services, and Viasat, a worldwide communications company, have announced that the Australian Government’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) has stated that it has no concerns about the intended merger of the two companies. The proposed deal has already received numerous important regulatory approvals, most notably from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and from the UK Government under the National Security and Investment Act. The most recent permission for the deal is the FIRB’s clearance of Viasat’s proposed acquisition of Inmarsat under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act of 1975. Australia is a large market where the two businesses have substantial consumer and commercial ties. Inmarsat and Viasat announced that they will merge their two businesses to become a new global communications powerhouse in November 2021. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second…
In an agreement with Altice Europe, Vodafone Group will roll out Fiber-to-the-Home in Germany as part of a €7 billion investment in its largest market. This collaboration complements Vodafone’s well-defined objectives for upgrading its current hybrid fiber cable network. According to a statement released by the two corporations on Monday, FibreCo, a 50/50 fiber partnership between Vodafone and Altice, will deploy fiber optic lines to as many as 7 million residences in Germany. Approximately 70% of the cost will be covered by debt raised by the new company. The transaction is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2023. The transaction is thought to yield Vodafone up to €1.2 billion in cash proceeds from Altice, which is projected to exceed Vodafone’s portion of stock commitments. The profits include €120 million upon closure, up to €487 million in deferred payments as additional homes are connected, and another…
According to an update from Optus, 2.1 million of the 9.8 million current and past customers whose data was exposed had at least one portion of an identification document, such as a license or passport number, accessed. In addition to personal data such as name, address, and date of birth, a current and legitimate form of identification was compromised for around 1.2 million people. For the remaining 900,000 users, the breach compromised an out-of-date ID. Optus stated that it has contacted all of the affected individuals and instructed them on the steps to take so as to minimize the damage done by this hack. Optus has also promised to reimburse victims the cost of passport replacement. The company has encouraged the remaining 7.7 million consumers to be cautious. Even though their identification documents were not stolen, the breach disclosed information such as email addresses, birth dates and phone…
DIDWW, a global provider of premium quality VoIP communication and SIP trunking services for businesses and telco carriers, has announced their partnership with Cloud Group. This cooperation will enable the fast-growing Belgian telecom operator to boost its product portfolio, enhance the quality of its communication services, and offer extended reach to its enterprise customers. As experts in the domain of virtual phone systems, Cloud Group offers solutions for businesses of all sizes. Their user-oriented communications enable customers to use IP-phones, web phones, IP DECTs and a CloudCall application for iOS/Android to make and receive calls. Cloud Group’s PBX solutions are developed in-house, which ensures unlimited service options and custom configurations for organizations of any type. Under the new partnership, Cloud Group will leverage DIDWW’s high-quality VoIP services in over 80 countries, including geographic, mobile, national and toll-free DID numbers, coupled with two-way SIP trunking and virtually unlimited call…
Sangoma Technologies Corporation, a supplier of cost-effective Communications as a Service (CaaS) solutions for companies of all sizes, has announced the sale and shipment of the one millionth IP desk phone to Jenne Inc., a long-time Sangoma partner. “We’ve had a long and very successful relationship with Sangoma. And part of that, is the excellence of their ‘all built in-house’ UCaaS solution, which includes tightly integrated desk phones designed for their UC environment. Desk phones continue to be an important part of the overall UC solution set, especially to brick-and-mortar businesses. The achievement of delivering one million phones to the marketplace is impressive and will continue to be a big part of Jenne’s overall success, whether that is in delivering cloud-based or on-premises solutions,” said Dean Jenne, president of sales, Jenne Inc. Sangoma’s IP desk phones are part of an integrated cloud communications solution created and manufactured by…
In order to extend mobile service to isolated rural regions, the Belgian communications operator BICS has inked a deal with the satellite-direct-to-phone telecoms business Lynk. This agreement will make it possible for mobile network operators (MNOs) to provide services to subscribers in rural areas in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, South-East Asia, and a number of rural African regions. BICS focuses on cloud, mobility and IoT, while offering digital communications on a worldwide scale. The company also collaborates with MNOs and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). This collaboration aims to solve the problem of remote locations that currently lack any form of mobile connectivity. BICS will use its network to connect the cell carriers with the Lynk satellite constellation. Lynk’s solution enables conventional roaming partner integration without requiring that the mobile operators’ networks undergo hardware or software upgrades, thereby expanding coverage to outlying regions, islands, and…