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Zain Omantel International joins ‘One Consortium’ to combat telecom fraud

ZOI will collaborate with international telecom operators to share its insights and work to combat illegal voice calls and messages on a global scale.

Zain Omantel International (ZOI) has announced its membership in ‘One Consortium,’ a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to tackling illegal and unwanted international voice calls and messages. ‘One Consortium’ unites major telecom companies, including Lumen, Orange Wholesale, Verizon, and Vodafone, along with global industry organisations such as i3Forum, GSMA, Global Leaders Forum (GLF), and Global Solutions Council (GSC), to address fraud in international telecommunications and its impact on consumers and businesses worldwide.

‘One Consortium’ collaborates closely with global telecom regulators through the newly launched Global Informal Regulatory Antifraud Forum (GIRAF), which includes 20 European regulatory authorities, with more expected to join soon.

As a voting member of One Consortium, ZOI will actively participate in its working groups, contributing to the development of solutions, standards, and strategies to build trust in communications and accelerate digital transformation in the Middle East. The consortium’s working groups cover topics such as fraud identification best practices, regulatory policy, messaging fraud, international traceback, Calling Line Identification (CLI) spoofing, and enhancing overall trust in telecommunications.

Sohail Qadir, Chief Executive Officer at ZOI, emphasised the alignment of the company’s core values with the consortium’s objectives: “Joining One Consortium underscores our commitment to integrity and customer-centricity across the MENA region and beyond. It plays a crucial role in combating fraud across the industry. We look forward to working together to enhance trust in international telecommunication channels and make a significant impact across the industry.”

The creation of One Consortium was spearheaded by i3Forum to assist regulators and policymakers in enhancing trust across the telecom ecosystem. The voice and messaging industry faces rampant fraud, scams, and spoofing attacks.

Philippe Millet, Founder and Chairman of i3Forum, added: “We are excited to welcome ZOI to One Consortium and to have a Middle East-headquartered service provider join us in the fight against voice and messaging fraud. It is critical that we have representation from across the globe as we aim to enhance trust in international telecommunications. Global collaboration enables us to make a substantial impact and benefit the carrier community, businesses, and consumers. We value ZOI’s expertise and support and look forward to working with the team.”

As part of One Consortium, ZOI aims to shape regional industry advancements and contribute to the creation of effective solutions and regulations worldwide.