Category: IP Networks

According to Statista, the application-to-person (A2P) market is poised to reach the heights of $45.93 billion this year. But that may just be the beginning. There’s no doubt that enterprises across different industries such as banking, healthcare, and travel are increasingly using A2P SMS to communicate with their customers. With that push, it’s no wonder that some reports suggest the A2P SMS market will grow to $64.24 billion by 2028.

A2P SMS is an ideal method for enterprises to connect with their customers. However, mobile network operators (MNO) face several challenges with SMS delivery and monetization.

These challenges could include – grey routing, unregulated networks, messages getting lost or delayed in the route, revenue leakage, an inability to terminate the SMS at the endpoint, and inability to block inappropriate content.

The operators have to take proactive measures to address these challenges and ensure timely delivery of A2P SMS.

How To Ensure A2P SMS Delivery?

1. Reliable routing

An enterprise pays for the number of messages they send and not for the number of messages received by their customers. Hence, operators have to ensure that the SMS is delivered to the right person at the right time. Often, the operators have no control over the routes. Service providers may use grey routes to deliver the SMS. Grey routes are unauthorized networks. It only results in revenue loss for operators, but it also exposes the end-customer to spam messages and potential security risks. The only way to address this issue is by ensuring that the SMS travels through a reliable and authorized network. Operators can either re-route the SMS over tested routes or do proactive route testing to identify suspect routes and curtail them. Alternately, operators can also opt for direct routing. In direct routing, the operator can set up a direct connection with operators in other countries. This will help them send a large volume of messages to customers of that country on time and protect them from malware and other security issues.

2. Monitoring and filtering content

In most countries, messages are subject to the oversight of the Government. The operators are expected to be stringent with compliance and filter or block suspicious messages. In other countries, operators are expected to monitor and block content to safeguard the customers from fake, fraudulent, and potentially dangerous content. Operators must have an active mechanism to blacklist and filter such content and ensure that customers are not bombarded with inappropriate or potentially illegal messages. Countries like India have already started taking initiatives to scrub and standardize SMS content and send it in a specific template to protect customers from spam. Monitoring and filtering content proactively will help operators safeguard the enterprise’s reputation and improve SMS delivery.

3. SMS termination

Typically, SMS termination means that the A2P SMS has been successfully delivered to the customer. Mobile operators must know about every message terminating on their network. However, in most cases, operators lose revenue due to illegal A2P routes. Sometimes hackers get access to the network and flood it with irrelevant messages without paying appropriate fees. That’s why it’s important to have a direct termination agreement with operators across different countries. This will enable the local operators to terminate messages on their network and ensure effective SMS delivery. However, ensure that these operators are reliable and will deliver the SMS safely. Reliability and trust are the foundation of the relationship between the mobile operators to function smoothly.

4. SMS firewall

SMS firewall protects the mobile networks from frauds and vulnerabilities. The messages are routed through the firewall to ensure that they are not fraudulent or suspicious in nature. The firewall automatically blocks the messages that are not compliant and protects customers from receiving them. It saves the operators’ reputation and overhead costs and also ensures safe SMS delivery to customers.

Conclusion

Some challenges, such as the recent TRAI regulation, may not be within the operator’s control. Over 600 million messages did not reach the customers because it required operators to register their entity, SMS header, and content template, leading to several technical glitches. However, solutions such as reliable routing, content scrubbing, firewall solutions, etc., are within the operator’s control. They can use these solutions to deliver A2P messages on time. It will help in building trust with enterprises. To ensure smooth delivery of A2P SMS, operators must partner with a telecom solution provider with the right expertise and experience in SMS delivery.

Globe Teleservices provides mobile network operators with powerful solutions for enabling high-quality A2P SMS delivery. We offer API connect for A2P messages, direct interconnection with more than 100+ carriers, and leading operators and direct SMS termination in 35+ countries globally. Operators can also leverage our high-quality direct routes to send A2P messages to end customers and prevent further revenue leakage.

Telecommunication networks have become an integral part of major national operations. Apart from the evergreen popularity of Voice and Messaging, we now have a new national obsession; data! As of 2021, about 60% of the world’s population (4.66 billion) actively uses the internet. Of course, the criticality of the telecom network and the high disruptive potential raises the stakes. There is a risk of potential misuse or disruption and that can be a major threat to the national security of any country. So, it won’t be an understatement to say that telecom networks now hold utmost importance in national security.

In light of such fears, many nations have implemented changes with immediate effect to ensure network safety. For example, many countries (including India) have imposed a ban on the use of China-manufactured products and applications. The National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS) of the Indian government has also banned the use of any unauthorized telecom networks. But the nature of security threats continues to evolve and so must the security stance.

One key element of the security stance is the growing focus on country gateways. Think, for instance, what would happen if a rogue actor created malware that flooded the data network of a major telecom carrier in an emerging country? Genuine users would face problems with using their data networks, business operations that relied on the internet would grind to a halt, and critical functions like remote education and telemedicine would get crippled. This could prove devastating. That apart, there are deep-rooted challenges to address. For instance, SS7 and Diameter signaling protocols in telecommunication can pose a potential threat to the banking system if hacked. Countries across the globe are therefore looking at building a secured country gateway for telecommunication networks.

In this article, we will discuss why a country gateway is crucial to ensure cybersecurity in the country. We will also highlight the key features offered by country gateways to support the argument. But before getting into the details, let’s understand what a country gateway is.

What is a country gateway?

A country gateway acts as a robust barrier that enables secured networking for data transmission across countries. It establishes a set of administrative procedures which are mutually accepted by interacting networks. In telecommunications, the country gateway regulates the incoming and outgoing data from one discrete network inside the boundary to those outside.

It serves as a checkpoint where all the data is screened for any malicious activity. This helps protect the data from potential breaches and cyber threats. It also avoids any unauthorized traffic in the network.

The country gateway usually follows more than one protocol to connect multiple networks. This provides multilayered protection against malware. These gateways are usually automated and are capable of decision-making, based on a defined set of rules. This advantage provides an edge to a country gateway over a conventional firewall.

How does a country gateway provide security?

A country gateway serves as an entry and exit point into a secured network. So, whenever data is received, it first goes through the gateway. The gateway ensures that the incoming information does not violate any of the nation’s security policies. If no issue or malware is detected, the country gateway then decides the routing path of these data packets. The gateway works for outgoing information or requests similarly. This way the country gateway acts as a firewall to avoid any unauthorized or unwanted actions.

A country gateway can either be hardware, software (cloud-based), or a combination of both. Of late, cloud-based gateways seem to be providing more flexibility with remote networks.

Why is a country gateway essential to security?

With advancements in technology, cybercriminals have also grown sophisticated. It has become difficult to differentiate genuine data from malware. As digitalization has spiked exponentially, the establishment of a secured country gateway has become essential to prevent malicious data from entering the safe system and crippling it. Let’s discuss the key features of a country gateway that makes it ideal for security:

1. Malware scan and control: Country gateways do not allow any viruses or malware to corrupt an operating network. The gateway scans all the data that passes through and matches it to existing or known malware. Some gateways also run the code of suspected malware in a controlled environment to see how it behaves; also known as sandboxing. This helps in detecting hidden threats. So, if any malware is detected, the gateway blocks it right away.
2. Decryption: Most of the internet traffic is now encrypted by HTTPS which makes it difficult to identify a threat. Many gateways can decrypt HTTPS to search for malware. After scanning, if the network is found safe, the gateway re-encrypts it and forwards it to the recipient. In addition, country gateways can also translate one data format to another. This helps in smooth networking without compromising the integrity of the information transferred.
3. URL filter: Although HTTPS is the standard protocol for most IT operations, still some of the networks support HTTP and FTP protocols. The country gateway scans all types of internet protocols and allows only the approved traffic to connect. These lists are maintained as a part of the national security policies. So, any network that is not in compliance with the approved list gets blocked by the gateway. Furthermore, the gateway can also block individual data packets within a network. This is called content filtering. The policies for content filtering are usually customized based on the requirements.
4. Data loss prevention (DLP): A secured country gateway also protects sensitive information such as confidential documents from flowing out of a network. This means that a gateway will not allow any intellectual property or data to leave a system without approval. This process is called exfiltration. For example, if an application requires documents to be uploaded, the data in those documents will be screened for confidential information. It will be approved only if it does not violate any of the security policies. This way DLP protects the crucial data against cybercrimes such as hacking.
5. Application control: This function enables the country gateway to control the applications used by any citizen. With the increasing popularity of social media apps, the risks involved are also growing sharply. The country gateway can therefore be used to regulate resources that an application can access.
6. Cross-layer function: The country gateway provides cross-layer services which aim to improve the CIA triad (confidentiality, integrity, and availability) of transmitted data. A cross-layer function also enables the country gateway to interoperate between all seven layers of data transmission, as proposed in the open systems interconnections (OSI) model. This makes the country gateway a one-stop solution for all security concerns.

How to choose a secured country gateway?

Choosing a country gateway is a crucial decision. As it deals with highly confidential data, it can compromise a nation’s economy if mishandled or leaked. The chosen country gateway should also provide high-risk management. It should be able to detect early threats such as state or non-state hacks and take immediate actions.

Although most gateways are customized based on the requirement, it is important to search for a flexible solution provider who understands the world of telecom, is an expert at the security aspects, and has a clear focus on new and emerging technologies like AI and ML.

Conclusion

Currently, digitalization and cyber threats are progressing hand-in-hand. Hence, it’s important to deploy country gateways to enhance security. The right gateway provides a nation robust security and a clear vision for the future. This helps the country gateway be ready to respond at speed with an automated call of action in case of any breach; today and tomorrow.

Globe Teleservices offers a comprehensive suite of solutions designed specifically to meet all the requirements of the global telecom industry. If you need any help with the gateways, you can reach out to us at www.globeteleservices.com.

Until a few years back, blockchain was only discussed in relation to payments…that too, primarily in the context of Bitcoin. To be fair, that’s how blockchain started. Over the years, the number of non-financial use-cases of bitcoin has been on an accelerated rise. Today, this technology is gaining traction in the telecom sector as technologies such as IoT and 5G start coming into this space.

Blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that enables information to be recorded in a shared database. This technology has been gaining traction owing to the rise of the digital economy and the promise of potentially transforming industries such as telecom and help them succeed in an environment of heightened competition using blockchain-powered applications.

Telecom in 2021 – how things stand

The way the telecom industry connects people has evolved but not changed considerably. Sure, SIM cards have become smaller and now we transmit audio, video, and text over the internet in different ways. Despite this, the core telephone logic based on SIM cards continues to be the same as when they were developed in 1991.

In all of this, what has undergone a complete transformation is the way we treat data.

The speed of transfer has increased phenomenally over the years. This trend will continue with the advent of 5G technology. With 5G comes the promise of low latency, higher volumes of data transfer, and a huge network of interconnected devices. This will also drive the accelerated proliferation of IoT devices and applications and allow us to achieve a variety of previously unimaginable use cases.

Whenever a new technology or capability emerges, the associated vertical sectors decide how, when, and where to leverage its capabilities. IoT technology use, for example, will become increasingly more talked about in the telecom sector as 5G networks mature. The hope is, new opportunities will emerge for operators to offer innovative products and services such as built-to-purpose consumer applications, wide-area IoT network solution, and IoT managed services.

It can be used for remote system monitoring and asset management, be a part of cloud migration strategies, or as an avenue to open up new revenue streams by providing edge computing infrastructure for over the top (OTT) service providers and application developers. CSP’s can use IoT to drive software-defined networking and network function visualization as well.

Both 5G and IoT see a lot of data moving across the network. And it is the capability to use this data appropriately and ingenuously that will help the telecom industry solve existing pain points and become future-ready.

Adapt Business Support Systems for the digital era

Telecom companies need to adapt their BSS for the digital era. They need to capably support the demanding and digitally native customer who wants a consistent and personalized experience delivered instantly. Of course, they must do so while considering all dimensions of the engagement lifecycle. Additionally, there is the challenge of addressing under-pressure traditional revenue sources, caused by the decline of voice services, data commoditization, and pressure from over-the-top (OTT) players.

To drive up profitability, telecom companies need to capably monetize all that 5G enables today and what it can tomorrow. Apart from connectivity to new applications and services, and to drive efficiencies such as Network slicing, private networks, partnerships, and IoT, BSS has to be more agile and secure.

Blockchain can help BSS become digital-era ready and help these internal systems become more collaborative and enable use cases that allow CSPs to eliminate intermediaries in inter-carrier settlements, prevent fraud during roaming and mobile number portability processes.

Fraud prevention

When there is IoT there is data. Unfortunately, where there is data, there is potential for fraud. Deloitte calculates the annual fraud costs for telcos at USD 40 billion.

Network security can be a challenge with the growing proliferation of IoT devices. With blockchain, every element in the IoT environment gets assigned with a unique identity that can be replicated across elements thereby making it harder to access by a third party.

Even if the network is compromised, blockchain manages to put in additional layer security that prevents attackers from using fraudulent ID within the system.

Drive compliance

Telecom operators have to enable technologies such as IoT and drive high connectivity. However, maintaining compliance with relevant laws and maintaining data and security regulations can be a challenge especially when there is a need for the international transfer of personal data.

CSP’s have to maintain compliance and can do so easily with a permissioned ledger system that the controlling party can leverage and place restrictions to prevent nodes from joining the network in certain locations. They can also use this ledger to ensure that the appropriate measures are in place with participants outside the region to ensure compliance

Overcome viability issues of IoT with Blockchain

Blockchain also makes IoT more viable and secure. Using blockchain, CSPs can provide highly secure peer-to-peer self-managed mesh networks employing a large number of nodes. Each of these nodes can be represented by single embedded IoT sensors and can verify every block within the blockchain.

Initially, they can create private networks with relatively low investment and then set up public networks once these are established thereby driving seamless connectivity and security. This is an essential consideration point especially with the growing interest in smart cities that run on IoT devices.

Improve digital asset transactions

CSP’s can use blockchain to implement micropayment-based business models for digital assets such as gift cards, loyalty points, purchase of music, mobile games, OTT, etc. This can drive revenues for CSPs by helping them enable the user and drive monetary transfer services, help them lower transaction costs, and also increase the speed of processing as compared to cash or debit/credit cards or cheques.

Enable smart contracting

CSP’s can capably automate their internal processes using blockchain and make processes such as billing, roaming, and supply chain management more streamlined, transparent, efficient, and error-free. Blockchain can automate the contracting process and eliminate the need for present transactions to undergo a clearinghouse to get approved.

Smart contracts enabled by blockchain guarantee the settlement between the participants and increases transparency to the end customer by routing the settlement from one operator’s Blockchain to another operator.

So, for example, when a subscriber on roaming dials out of the phone network this entire transaction (from the time the call connects up to its end) gets logged and saved on the blockchain network. The smart contract rule defines the charges and accordingly registers the payment. The complete transparency of this process ensures transaction integrity.

Our verdict is that IoT and blockchain will influence the telecom sector considerably. With leading telecom providers such as AT&T, Airtel, Deutsche Telecom, and more exploring blockchain and the maturing of IoT, we can expect faster adoption and deployment of blockchain to bring in the future of telecom. Is your telecom enterprise ready for blockchain?

A connected world has emerged from the stories of science-fiction to become reality today.

Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), we are opening the garage, adjusting the light and temperature at home even before reaching, measuring vital health parameters and alerting the doctors in case of an issue, and automatically alerting the grocery store for a refill of eggs before our stock runs out.

But the power of IoT stands to be further boosted with the coming of 5G.

Several studies have proved that the introduction of 5G will enable emerging technologies such as IoT to become a part of everyone’s life. It will not just lead to faster downloads, but will also play a crucial role in managing critical situations remotely, such as controlling heavy machinery to save a worker’s life or performing remote surgeries.

The two combined together could become a game-changer across several industries ranging from manufacturing, automotive, home appliances to healthcare. According to Gartner, 59% of companies are planning to use 5G to support IoT across their business.

It opens the door to several opportunities. But as with every technology, there are pros and cons to consider.

Let’s understand in detail the opportunities and the threats associated with IoT in the age of 5G.

Opportunities And Threats Of Using IoT With 5G

Opportunities

Faster data speed: The success of IoT is dependent on ready connectivity. Its performance is reliant upon how fast IoT devices, smartphones, etc. can communicate and transfer data with business applications and platforms. 5G could be 10 times faster than the current network speed. This means that IoT devices will be able to transfer data faster than before. There will be a significant improvement in how devices send and receive data. In industries such as healthcare and critical applications such as autonomous vehicles, faster data speed is crucial to save lives and get work done efficiently.

Low latency: An important characteristic of 5G is the low latency. Imagine a surgeon giving instructions to a team of doctors from a remote location while performing a surgery. Latency introduces lags, lags could cause a communication breakdown, and that could be a potential threat to the patient’s life. In an array of applications, data latency can prove to be disastrous. In others, like Augmented Reality apps or Gaming, latency could be a fundamental detriment to the app experience and usability. 5G is based on the foundation of ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). It can process a large volume of data in real-time, which enables IoT devices to respond faster and avoid transmission delay. Industries and people can function efficiently without any disruption. For example, hospitals can now replace wired connections with low latency wireless 5G connections during surgery.

Better network stability: Imagine if a smart city that runs on connected devices faces connectivity issues. There will be complete mayhem in the city with control lost over critical functions such as traffic management. Network stability is not just a good-to-have feature; it is a must-have in many IoT use-cases. 5G offers a stable network and better coverage than other networks. Its stability is the primary reason behind the low latency. This is perfect for IoT devices that rely on a stable network to transfer real-time data to get tasks completed. It can improve the performance of IoT devices, and consumers will also benefit from it.

Threats

Security challenges: Although 5G has built-in security systems and encryptions that make it stronger, cyber experts believe that it could still be vulnerable to cyberattacks. One challenge is that security standards and protocols are still in the early stages of being widely understood and accepted. An AT&T cybersecurity study revealed that 39% of respondents are worried about the security of the connected devices in the network. They worry that connected devices could expose them to larger security threats. According to a 2019 Brookings report, this is because the network has moved from centralized; hardware-based switching to software-based, distributed routing. Hackers could gain control over the software managing the network and attack it. This eventually would make IoT devices vulnerable to attacks.

Privacy challenges: In our last blog, we discussed the challenges that are holding up the 5G wave. One of them we discussed was about privacy challenges. Consumer privacy could be compromised due to semantic information attacks, timing attacks, and boundary attacks that hit the subscriber’s location privacy. There is also a potential threat to the consumer’s data and identity. Considering how consumers take their data privacy seriously and as connected devices rely the most on data, such threats to privacy could discourage people from using IoT devices with a 5G network.

Other potential risks to mission-critical devices: As IoT’s market grows; the scope for security threat also increases. Innovative threats could emerge that don’t exist today. Recently, the FDA recalled half a million pacemakers because they were vulnerable to attacks. With more IoT devices getting connected to 5G networks, there is an increasing scope for hackers to attack the devices. They could manipulate the devices and create irreversible damage if not monitored and controlled periodically.

Conclusion

According to Statista, the number of IoT devices will rise to74 billionby 2025. While there are worries of security threats in using IoT devices with 5G, one cannot ignore the impact it will have on people and industries. IoT seems to be made for 5G. Both can come together to deliver innovative solutions across industries and for society.

What’s required is a combined effort by Mobile Network Operators (MNO) and companies that build IoT devices and solutions. Such a considered partnership can develop a shared security model where the company can take responsibility for the IoT devices, and the MNO looks after managing the network infrastructure and ensuring that it meets the 3GPP framework. This way, people and industries can use IoT devices freely without the fear of cyberattacks to unlock the potential.

The telecom industry has witnessed rapid development in recent years. It has ushered in a global era of connectivity. Whether it is the IoT, 5G, or Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging, the telecom industry has been responsible for simplifying communication and making it faster. The transition to wireless connectivity, implementation of 5G, and increased usage of IoT devices are just a few of the several advancements made by the industry in recent years. It’s fair to call the telecom sector the backbone of life and business worldwide.

No wonder the global telecom services market size was $1657 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2021 and 2028.

However, the rapid transformation and innovation have also led to rising security concerns such as cyber risks, revenue leakage, and even espionage or security compromises in the industry.

What Are The Security Concerns That Worry The Telecom Industry?

Revenue losses

Telecom fraud is one of the leading reasons for revenue losses in the industry. According to a joint report published by Europol’s European Cybercrime Center and Trend Micro, telecom frauds lead to a revenue loss of $32.7 billion. This has negatively impacted operator revenue margins across the board. As telecom networks expand and more data gets exchanged through connected devices and users, telecom operators will have to find ways to counter these issues. Although new offerings such as 5G and IoT are laying the ground for ever more sophisticated ways to secure the network, hackers always find a way to breach the system and impact operations. Telecom operators must continuously audit their security framework and processes and establish ways to eliminate frauds and prevent revenue losses.

Data breaches

Recently, the telecom giant T-Mobile reported a security incident that compromised the data of 200,000 customers. A similar incident occurred early last year when Japan’s telecom company Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT) reported that the data of 621 customers from one of their subsidiaries were stolen. The hackers had hacked the multiple security layers of their IT infrastructure to steal the data. Data breaches have become one of the common concerns for telecom operators. A 2020 Global Threat Intelligence Report stated that hackers have been using IoT devices as a common entry point for cyber-attacks. As more businesses and individuals continue to work from home, edge points grow and so does the vulnerability. Telecom operators will have to build robust security architecture to reduce data breaches. They must incorporate data encryption, tokenization, authorized access, and firewalls to safeguard their network infrastructure and prevent data breaches.

System outages

Unplanned network downtime can cost telecom operators $15 billion per year. Of course, it’s bad for the users too. Businesses and individuals are dependent on good internet and telephone connectivity for day-to-day operations. Hence, unplanned downtime impacts their work and affects the operator’s bottom line revenue. If severe outages occur frequently, the telecom operator will risk losing their reputation and customers. While there are many reasons behind unplanned system outages, one of the major causes is a system upgrade. The operators are unable to reconnect the network after an upgrade or change in infrastructure. Other reasons include – routing problems, network congestions, and operational error. Taking proactive measures, communicating any upcoming outages, and anticipating and solving the issue within the decided SLA are ways to counter these issues.

Malicious attacks

Recently, India recorded an 845% increase in cyber-attacks between October 2020 and March 2021. According to Check Point Software, 93% of such attacks occur because the users are lured into installing malicious apps, which compromises the enterprises’ network security. Weak network infrastructure has led to an increase in ransomware incidents. Social engineering, DDoS attacks are some other kinds of attacks that operators are witnessing right now. Auditing the network infrastructure regularly and fixing vulnerabilities will enable operators to safeguard the infrastructure from malicious attacks. Resilient infrastructure is the only way forward for telecom operators. It’s also time that operators build a security-focused culture within their organization and take proactive measures to prevent malicious attacks.

Privacy issues

Ever since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has come into existence, enterprises have become conscious of data privacy threats. The onus now lies with telecom operators to protect the subscribers’ privacy. In its whitepaper, Ericsson recommended that the first step towards safeguarding the privacy of subscribers is to include privacy at every stage of the product or service development and in operations. This will enable the operators to proactively protect the subscribers’ privacy rather than taking remedial actions. They need to embed privacy controls within the processes to give subscribers the confidence that their data is fully protected and aligned with the regulations.

Conclusion

As the industry advances, the incidents of security threats will keep increasing. Hence, there is no better time than now for telecom operators to find ways to combat the rising security concerns. Operators can use SMS and voice firewall solutions to safeguard the network from threats and vulnerabilities. They can also invest in fraud detection and security solutions such as access and identity management, content filtering, and perimeter protection to protect the networks from threats.

At Globe Teleservices, we offer end-to-end network security solutions to telecom operators. We offer:

• Gateway solutions with fraud management that detect and block frauds entering the network
• SMS firewalls to block illegal SMS traffic
• Direct routing that prevents A2P SMS grey routing
• Protection from SMS spamming, flooding, spoofing, phishing, and viruses

To know more about our security solutions, contact us.

Blockchain promises the potential to disrupt or transform business models in almost every industry. In the telecom sector, in particular, blockchain can provide unprecedented support for the required infrastructure and connectivity for voice, data, media, and other related services. Data exchange between networks calls for an extremely high level of data security, integrity, and inspection. That being the case, blockchain can help in ensuring the right levels of security and protection.

The ongoing buzz around blockchain

As a shared ledger that gets replicated across stakeholders in a network, blockchain enables companies to maintain the complete history of all transactions that happen between two or more parties. Since these transaction records are immutable, they can never be tampered with. Such immutability paves the way for increased security, transparency, and control for every transaction across the ecosystem while reducing the number of unnecessary intermediaries.

Offering distributed digital ledgers that are updated in near real-time, blockchain delivers chronologically placed, time-stamped, irreversible, and auditable processes while bringing down the number of third parties involved in any transaction. Through decentralized storage, a high level of robustness, and unmatched trust and confidentiality, blockchain is helping organizations across various industries:

• Enable greater transparency into transactions
• Improve the quality and speed of payments
• Enhance traceability of operations
• Improve accountability and integrity
• Enable high levels of encryption and security

How telecom companies can benefit

For the telecom sector, blockchain could be a real game-changer. Analysts expect the blockchain telecom market to reach $677.66 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 28.3% during the forecast period. This growth will primarily be driven by the increasing adoption of 5G, which could become a catalyst for widespread blockchain implementation.

• Fraud detection and prevention: Although developments in 5G are changing the face of the telecom sector, enabling faster and high-quality communications between users, it is also paving the way for increased instances of telecom fraud, which can cost the world $32.7 billion Blockchain sets the foundation for effective and timely fraud detection (and prevention) for telecom service providers – especially with a focus on roaming users. By bringing down fraud detection and resolution time, blockchain verifies the authenticity of every transaction in the network, helps in calculating the exact billing amount based on the services rendered, and enables instantaneous verification via smart contract terms.
• Simplified processes: Telecom operators often struggle with streamlining roaming processes, with issue resolution timelines sometimes shooting up to several weeks. Blockchain allows telecom companies to simplify these processes via real-time monitoring. Using blockchain, they can set thresholds to easily identify issues or breaches, plan for their resolution, and also bring down the time and costs of disputes.
• Enhanced authentication: Blockchain also allows telecom operators to set up high levels of identity and authentication mechanisms to prevent subscriber identity fraud and associated data breaches. By encrypting identities via secure sign-ups and logins, the technology can instantly detect false stolen or missed identities as well as attempts at data manipulation – thus allowing telecom operators to safeguard the authenticity of digital transactions.
• Increased transparency: Another appealing aspect of blockchain technology is the degree of transparency it brings. The traceability of information means no transaction or service can be unduly modified. The level of transparency that blockchain brings adds a degree of accountability, allowing telecom companies to safeguard privacy and control over data, whilst increasing transparency and efficiencies in transactions.
• Improved collaboration: Given the number of business transactions that now happen in the telecom ecosystem, blockchain enables interested parties to come together as part of a larger consortium. Through frequent communication between these stakeholders, blockchain ensures high-quality connectivity, service, and customer experience is provided along with required trust, security, and transparency.

Points to note

As a growing telecom company, if you are looking to boost operational efficiencies, embracing blockchain can help your strategies a great deal. Through streamlined collaboration and simplified processes, it can allow you to enable effective and timely fraud detection and prevention, ensuring all communication and transactions that happen in the telecom ecosystem are transparent, efficient, secure, and protected.

However, when opting for blockchain,

• Carry out a detailed cost-benefit analysis to determine how blockchain will boost your business outcomes and what roadblocks you can expect on the way there.
• Be aware of the different blockchain technologies, their maturity levels, as well as their significance in the context of your particular use case.
• Identify the areas of your business that will benefit the most from blockchain adoption: identity management, smart contracts, secure transactions, data usage tracking, or others
• Make sure the blockchain technology you choose supports the type and kind of data (and customers) you deal with
• Review required legal frameworks and compliance requirements before embracing the technology
• Ensure that the technology you opt for allows you to improve the security and authenticity of transactions

With the right approach, the right tools, and the right implementation, you can leverage blockchain to improve the immutability of telecom transactions, improve transparency and visibility of operations, paving the way for secure and smart contracts, and enjoy long-term business value.

Business messaging is core to any organization’s communication suite as it allows them to interact with customers instantly. Although SMS has long been a popular option that allows businesses to instantly reach out to customers, for sustained business growth, engaging customers via voice and A2P messaging has become extremely important. With a read rate of 97% within 15 minutes of being delivered, A2P messaging has become one of the most preferred mediums for business communication.

It not only allows businesses to deliver order information, marketing campaigns, or other customer services quickly and effectively; it also allows for automation of text messaging for appointment reminders, two-factor authentication, bank alerts, one-time passwords, and more. And it does all that while supporting multi-channel conversations and personalization of marketing outreach campaigns.

A peek into the voice and A2P messaging business

The constant evolution of the business to customer messaging ecosystem and the need for automation has spurred significant innovation in the voice and A2P messaging sectors. The global A2P messaging market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.2% from $62.1 billion in 2020 to $72.8 billion by 2025, exhibiting profitable growth in the next five years.

If we talk about Africa, the pandemic led to millions of citizens relying on mobile services for day-to-day living: right from audio and video conferencing to meal delivery, mobile payments, e-commerce transactions, and more. As more and more money and efforts are put towards modernizing telecom networks, establishing broadband connections, and improving cloud penetration, several world-class telecom providers are now engaging with voice and A2P messaging to optimize their communication with customers while assuring speed and accuracy of message delivery with direct routing.

The unmatched benefits of A2P messaging for businesses

As traditional SMS remains the default mobile-specific service that companies use to communicate with customers, A2P messaging has been gaining immense popularity. As customers have more choice than ever to engage with the business of their choice, A2P messaging allows businesses to:

• Keep up with the increasingly digital outlook of modern customers
• Automate the customer communication process and achieve faster turnaround
• Reach out to customers for a variety of purposes including authorization, authentication, product updates as well as order notifications, reminders, coupons, vouchers, and loyalty programs
• Provide unmatched marketing information as well as 24×7 customer service
• Meet consumer expectations around enterprise responsiveness
• Ensure fast delivery of critical messages via low latency and high throughput rates
• Achieve high levels of customer engagement in a time- and cost-effective manner
• Personalize communication and deliver tailored customer experiences

Factors that will define the A2P market in the coming years

With so many benefits, companies in Africa are increasing their adoption of A2P messaging to reach out to their target audience and engage with them in a reliable, fast, and secure way. Here’s looking at how the A2P messaging market will move in the African subcontinent and the changes that are expected in the coming years:

1. The segment will continue to balloon: The coming 5 years will see an increase in A2P messaging traffic, driven by the need to offer critical and timely information to customers including banking and transaction-related details, product and service-related information, alerts, and reminders, and more. Although a lot of businesses are already relying on A2P messaging, the ability of organizations to promote and market their products and services to attract and engage with new customers will see these adoption numbers increase.
2. SPAM checks will be common: The constant inflow of business messages also brings it with the challenge of SPAM. To keep this under control, organizations would need to have a common set of procedures that will allow them to manage unwanted, unexpected junk messages. Since scammers are increasingly sending fake messages to trick customers into sending personal information, businesses would need to invest in the right tools to curb the growing instances of phishing, malware, hacking, and fraud.
3. Identifying unauthorized gray routes will become critical: Businesses will also have to be adept at identifying unauthorized gray routes that are increasingly being used to deliver international A2P traffic into mobile networks. Although the routes themselves might be legal, the parties using them or the traffic on these routes might not be authorized. To control loss of revenue through these unauthorized gray routes, organizations will have to rely on technologies like SS7 and IP filtering to analyze the authenticity of messages in real-time and take appropriate action, if required.
4. Cloud and on-premise deployments will witness equal traction: Although cloud-based models will gain immense popularity in the coming years, on-premise deployments will continue to record high growth too. This will be done by organizations who want to install the platform on their own – without depending on the service provided by a cloud provider – and enjoy additional control and flexibility with their deployments.
5. New technology initiatives will continue to penetrate the industry: New technology initiatives like 5G will radically change how businesses communicate and engage with customers. From improved voice quality to faster communication speed, reduced drop rates to better SPAM management – 5G will allow organizations users to rely on faster and more secure connections. At the same time, technologies like AI and ML will allow for enhanced personalization of communications, enabling businesses to rely on smart bots and assistants to help with scheduling messages and sending reminders and pave the way for intelligent routing options.

As the need to connect with customers increases, voice and A2P adoption is growing across the world. If you are looking to set up A2P messaging for your business, we can help! Using our SMS Gateway & SMSC that has been deployed in the US, we can provide the required APIs for A2P transactional or bulk SMS campaigns. We have a very strong focus on Africa, with prestigious exclusive contracts with some of the fastest-growing nations in the region. What’s more, our direct interconnection with more than 100+ carriers and leading operators enables us to rely on high-quality routes based on various requirements of the market, so you can deliver seamless experiences to your customers anytime, anywhere.

Recently, the caller identifying app Truecaller released detailed statistics about spam on the telecom networks. It revealed that Indians received a whopping 8.5 billion spam messages in 2019 alone. To thwart the attempts of spamming the users, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a strict regulation that bars companies from sending unsolicited commercial bulk SMS to users. They have asked companies to register their sender IDs and SMS templates in centralized DLT portals to improve end-user experience and eliminate spam and fraudulent messages.

The decision is a stark reminder that companies must be careful about the Application to Person (A2P) SMS they send. They can no longer send bulk messages or overtly promotional content to their customers. While this might spell bad news for companies that unreasonably rely on A2P messages, the good news is that it is not the end of A2P SMS. A2P SMS has come a long way. The new features such as Rich Communication Services (RCS) and personalization can enable companies to balance between complying with regulatory guidelines and continuing the communication with their customers. In fact, the smarter and evolved SMS can be a powerful tool for companies if used in the right way.

Let’s look at how A2P SMS has evolved and is benefitting companies.

How Has SMS Become Smarter And More Effective?

Better communication

Whether it’s an upcoming appointment with the doctor, an OTP for a transaction, delivery status of the product ordered product, or a reminder to pay the bills, companies rely on their ability to send SMS’ to communicate with their customers. This holds across all types of transactions. For instance, studies reveal that 90% of leads prefer to be messaged rather than called. SMS formats have also evolved and become more engaging. Unlike the earlier formats of SMS, the current ones give companies the option to send rich text. Companies have been using RCS to send images, videos, website links, QR codes, etc. RCS will help in improving engagement. The other advantage is that SMS’ are generally kept shorter. So, customers can assimilate the message faster and more effectively.  Keeping the message short, simple, and clear will help companies gain more engagement and eventually lead to better conversions.

Better and quicker reach

Although smartphones are popular, everyone does not own them yet. Also, internet connectivity is still weak in remote areas. So, push notifications, and OTT messaging apps might not deliver messages to those customers on time. SMS is also more likely to be opened than an email. For instance, research shows that an SMS has an open rate of 99% compared to an email that has just 36%. In fact, 97% of the receivers read the message within 15 minutes of receiving it. This proves that SMS is more effective, and has better reach than other messaging modes. Companies must consider using SMS to ensure that their customers receive their messages immediately. It is also convenient for customers. For example, a customer can immediately access the generated OTP sent via SMS and use it to complete a transaction. They don’t have to worry about low internet connectivity, or delays in delivery, and “timed-out” transactions as they wait to receive the message.

Personalized communication

One thing that customers detest is the lack of personalization in messages. They hate being the target of spammy, generic, bulk messages and they especially hate being sent messages repeatedly. They want the messages to be short, relevant, and personalized. The new form of A2P messaging allows companies to add personalization to their SMS. For example, an airline company can send personalized SMS to the customer reminding them of an upcoming trip. They can also send links to hotels close to the destination they are visiting, or send special promotional codes that they can use to avail discounts or special benefits. By creating segmented marketing campaigns and personalizing the messages according to intelligent segmentation, companies can improve their engagement and reach with the customer. It will also save them from being tagged as spammers by the TRAI.

Cost-effectiveness

SMS is more cost-effective than emails or any other forms of communication. The cost per SMS send is low, and given the high response and engagement rates, we can safely say that A2P SMS can improve the ROI in marketing. It is one of the best channels for doing direct sales marketing. Companies can also avoid other logistical issues such as email delivery failure or missing postal, etc., due to A2P messaging.

Conclusion

One cannot deny that SMS is still a strong communication tool for companies despite the growth of instant messaging platforms and push notifications. The A2P SMS market is expected to reach a value of $101 billion by 2030. Clearly, A2P SMS is still crucial to the future of messaging for customer engagement. However, companies need to ensure that their messaging strategy complies with TRAI’s regulatory guidelines and follows privacy and customer norms. On the operational front, they must also avail of solutions that allow them to send messages at a cost-effective rate to avoid burning through mountains of cash.

At Globe Teleservices, we help companies send personalized and rich messages to multiple customers in a single instant. Companies can avail benefits such as:

• API connect to send transactional or promotional messages
• Leverage our direct interconnection with more than 100+ carriers and leading operators for direct SMS termination in more than 35+ countries
• Leverage high-quality routes along with direct routes to meet the various market requirements
• Send push notifications to social media platforms
• Send engaging messages such as geo-targeted text, photo and video notifications to customers

To know more about sending A2P SMS securely and cost-effectively, contact us.

For a long time, “interconnects” have been a dominant consideration for those in the telecom business. Interconnects allow telecom and mobile network operators worldwide to bring together and share networks so their customers could continue their communication without worrying about the network boundaries. Interconnects are relevant for fixed, mobile, and internet services.

While sharing networks in this manner, telecom operators follow different ways of billing. Some of the common ones included:

• Revenue sharing
• Price sharing
• Fixed and variable charges

Many more approaches exist, driven by specific needs and prevalent conditions!

A typical interconnect billing process involves raising an interconnect invoice where the incoming interconnect call detail records (CDRs) are sent to the interconnect partner. The billing is settled between the network operators involved in carrying calls and is finally reconciled by exchanging the CDRs with each other. This is big business too as telecom operators were able to generate 50% of revenue from such arrangement.

This arrangement has largely been working well for a while now. However, the landscape has now started changing with new players entering the space due to low barriers and low-profit margins. Additionally, the industry is undergoing a major transformation with many carriers moving to next-generation IP networks for reduced technology costs and the ability to introduce new products frequently.

The technology transformation and increasing competition have brought in several complexities that interconnect billing solutions must solve.

Challenges That Interconnect Billing Solutions Must Solve

Let’s look at some of the common challenges that telecom operators and partners face and what they can do to fix them.

1. Competitive pricing

Typically, operators sign an interconnection agreement that discusses the settlement fees, schemes, and schedules of payment based on call source, destination, duration, etc. The operators would abide by the agreement and be able to earn fairly predictable revenues. However, new entrants have threatened this system by offering cheaper routes and re-negotiating offers and rates frequently.

Solution: The operators and their partners can use a good interconnect billing solution to re-rate their revenues accurately and achieve settlement on time.

2. Billing inaccuracy

Revenue leakage is one of the primary concerns of telecom operators. Inaccurate rating calculations and errors in classifying traffic are major reasons due to which operators face a tough time during the settlement process. It leads to unnecessary disputes, issues and delays in revenue realization, and cash flow problems.

Solution: By using a good interconnect billing solution, the operators and their partners can prevent revenue leakage and ensure that billing is accurate. The solution should be able to ensure there are no disputes in settling. This encourages the partners to pay on time.

3. Mismanaged costs

Another problem that operators face is to do with overcharged invoices. Very frequently the partner bills carry overcharged pricing. Sometimes their invoices have low-level errors that go unnoticed. However, when there are many invoices and when these invoices carry hundreds of lines, it’s almost impossible to check each of them for accuracy. This leads to the operators unduly paying large sums to the partner.

Solution: Operators and their partners must use an end-to-end fully automated interconnect billing solution to spot errors in invoices immediately and fix them to manage costs efficiently. They can also create customizable invoices for every provider based on the agreement.

4. Operational inefficiency

Interconnects are multi-functional as they cover aspects of product management, commercial negotiations, streamlining processes, and billing and finance. The operations can be inefficient if all these functions operate in silos.

Solution: The only way to solve this problem is by automating the entire interconnect billing system. This will encourage the different functions to collaborate and provide them the platform to do so. This will help update rates, reconcile efficiently, and improve operational efficiency. It will also enable the operators to create customized reports to analyze revenue and monitor traffic.

Additionally, while considering the “must-have” features an interconnect billing solution must offer, operators should look at:

• Flexibility to include new products and offerings into the system for future billing
• Access to rich information that can be leveraged to make data-driven decisions about all aspects of interconnects and improve profitability
• Ability to monitor agreements in real-time and alert the operator immediately in case of violation. This will ensure that the relationship between the operator and the partner is not threatened in any way
• Ability to quickly verify invoices and reconcile them. It should also have a system to fix any discrepancies in the invoice to prevent any future discrepancies
• Ability to track margins and provide accurate information about the true value of an agreement by calculating the revenue or cost of traffic with and without considering the agreement rates

Conclusion

The complex nature of billing, shrinking margins, and cutthroat competition have made it necessary for operators to spend more time updating their billing systems and less time on innovation. To reduce unnecessary complexity, streamline their processes, and free up their bandwidth operators may want to consider outsourcing the interconnect billing process to a credible managing services provider.

So, while the managed services provider manages the billing process, the operators can focus on addressing challenges such as building stronger relationships with their interconnect partners and earning better revenue and margins by fixing the best rates and best routes.

At Globe Teleservices, we offer managed services to help telecom companies operate all aspects of their telecom business smoothly. From billing to accounting to fraud control, we manage all of it with an SLA commitment of 99.999%. Our deep experience in the telecom industry helps us understand our clients’ needs and implement different solutions across geographies and cultures. That’s essential to understand the interconnect solution.