Other Phone Companies Urged to Provide Call-Blocking Tools Now While Industry Strike Force Works on Long Term Solutions
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports, applauded Sprint’s announcement today that it is working to develop more robust caller identification tools to help stop unwanted calls that it expects to integrate into its phone service later this year. Sprint’s initiative shows leadership within an industry plagued by robocall complaints, according to the group.
“Consumers are desperate for relief from robocalls that ring day and night,” said Tim Marvin, who heads up Consumers Union’s End Robocalls campaign. “Sprint deserves credit for taking the initiative to improve Caller ID technologies, a critical part of the effort to combat unwanted calls. We hope they will couple this effort with tools that automatically block calls identified as robocalls.”
For over a year, Consumers Union’s End Robocalls campaign has worked to mobilize consumers to put pressure on the top phone companies to provide their customers with free call-blocking tools. In August, the telecommunications industry launched the Robocall Strike Force to work on improving call-blocking technologies and pledged to issue a plan for doing so by October 19. FCC Chairman Wheeler has repeatedly made clear that the phone companies’ work on the Strike Force should not delay them from offering robocall solutions now.
“As the Robocall Strike Force works on longer term efforts to stop unwanted calls, the phone companies should start offering their customers the best call-blocking tools currently available,” said Marvin.
Contact: Michael McCauley, mmccauley@consumer.org, 415-431-6747, ext 7606 (office) or 415-902-9537 (cell) or David Butler, dbutler@consumer.org, 202-462-6262