The US regulator asks companies to take action to stop automated calls

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai on Monday told executives of major phone and other phone service providers, urging them to launch a system by 2019 to fight against billions of "automated calls" and other unwelcome calls American consumers.

In May, Pai called on companies to adopt a "call authentication system" or a standard for cryptographic signing of phone calls, developed by the industry, aimed at put an end to the use of illegitimate numbers stolen from the telephone system. Monday's letters request answers by November 19 on the status of these efforts.

The letters were sent to 13 companies, including AT & T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., T-Mobile US Inc., Alphabet Inc., Comcast Corp., Cox Communications Inc., Sprint Corp., CenturyLink Inc., Charter Communications Inc. ., Bandwith Inc and others.

Pai's letters have raised concerns about the current efforts of some companies, including Sprint, CenturyLink, Charter, Vonage, Telephone and Data Systems Inc., its US-based Celullar Corp and Frontier Communications Corp. robust call authentication framework, "according to FCC staff.

The authentication framework "numerically validates the transfer of telephone calls going through the complex network of networks, allowing the telephone company of the consumer receiving the call to verify that a call is coming from the supposed person doing it, "said the FCC.

YouMail, a company that blocks and monitors automated calls, estimated that there were 5.1 billion unsolicited calls last month, up from 3.4 billion in April.

The FCC has taken a number of steps to deter automated calls or pre-recorded automated calls that regulators have called "scourge".

"Call authentication must become a reality. This is the best way to ensure that consumers can answer their phones with confidence. At the same time next year, I think consumers will start seeing it on their phones, "said Pai.

"I'm calling those who are late to catch up … If it does not appear that this system is on track to be operational next year, we will take steps to ensure that It is. "

FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, asked the FCC earlier this year to set a deadline and said, "Canada has decided to set a deadline of 2019 to put this technology in place. We should do the same thing as our neighbors to the north. "