In the news

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Interview with CBS: Basketball fans experience scam through text messages during March Madness craze

CBS Corpus Christi’s Victoria Balderrama reports on the dangers of NCAA March Madness. Balderrama turns to a fraud mitigation expert, Chris Drake, for tips on what to watch out for as the tournament progresses. The SVP of iconectiv warns views to never download a file from a text message sent by an unknown 10-digit number, as they can infect the device with malware. As a precaution, he suggests sports fans freeze their credit and back up their phone.
Mar 15, 2023
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Interview with FOX: Mobile Betting Scams: Sports betting expert shares ways to avoid scams ahead of March Madness

Fox Boston reports on the uptick in scams looking to cash in on the urgency surrounding March Madness betting. Chris Drake, SVP of iconectiv, shares his insight on the topic and warns viewers to be wary of 10-digit numbers, as they are easy to spoof. Other red flags to be on the lookout for include misspelled words, attachments/links or any request to be sent money via an untraceable method, such as cryptocurrency, gift cards or payment apps. Drake recommends that sports fans caught in a scam disengage and report the scam to the FTC or local police.
Mar 15, 2023
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Interview with FOX: March Madness scammers? How to keep yourself safe

FOX Cleveland’s Brad Hamilton seeks input from iconectiv SVP, George Cray, on how scammers are leveraging March Madness to steal personal information. Cray warns that Ohio is a hotspot for scams, as the state can now legally bet on the tournament. He suggests putting a freeze on your credit and reporting scams to the local police.
Mar 14, 2023
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Interview with FOX: March Madness brings the Final Four, and scammers, to Houston

Tom Zizka of FOX Houston warns viewers that March Madness is an opportunity for fraudsters to steal fans’ personal information. Scammers will use the NCAA tournament to craft texts around ticket sales or a betting opportunity in hopes to trick receivers into sharing personal information or clicking malicious links. George Cray, VP at iconectiv, offers insight as a telecom security expert and recommends never trusting these texts with sensitive information or clicking links. Zizka explains that another level of protection comes with messages from 5 or 6-digit numbers. Businesses have registered and undergone a vetting process to obtain these numbers, making them much more trustworthy.
Mar 14, 2023
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Interview with CBS: “They cleared my whole bank account,” Jax woman scammed, experts now warning others about spam texts

Megan Moriarty of CBS Jacksonville shares the story of how Tesa Childs was a victim of number porting fraud. The victim shared that her bank account was emptied, and the scammer had complete access to her phone. Moiarty turns to telecom expert, George Cray, VP of iconectiv, for insight on how viewers can protect themselves. Cray explains that you can never 100% trust a text from an unknow 10-digit number and that 5-6-digit short codes are more reliable.
Mar 8, 2023
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VanillaPlus Magazine Issue 1 2023: Are we nearly there yet?

In VanillaPlus Magazine, iconectiv shares an expert deep dive into origin-based rating. Over the past several years, network service providers have been feeling increased pressure to find new income streams to offset shrinking voice and data revenues, as well as margins. Origin-based rating is an untapped income opportunity that lies in how network service providers operate their business – specifically in relation to how they charge for terminating calls.
Feb 21, 2023
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Interview with FOX: Experts remind people to watch out for tax scams

Joshua Oculam of FOX Scranton cautions viewers of tax scams ramping up before April. iconectiv CTO, Chris Drake, provides expert insight on ways to keep viewers and their information safe. Drake explains that the IRS will contact Americans by notices in the mail, not by text or email. If a suspicious looking message is received, Drake warns to never click the link and to freeze your credit.
Feb 17, 2023

Press Releases

Media Contact:
Sharon Oddy
Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications
+1 732 699-5130
soddy@iconectiv.com

press release

Industry Experts Convene to Examine Call Authentication for a Safer Voice Channel

iconectiv's Executive Vice President of Business Development, Michael O'Brien, will be participating in a panel of industry specialists at Hiya’s State of the Call Summit. Together, they will delve into call authentication, highlighting its role in revitalizing confidence within the realm of voice calls.
Oct 5, 2023
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How Network Element Providers, Equipment Manufacturers Are Taking Advantage of the Common Language of Telecom

iconectiv's latest use case highlights how Common Language benefits Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) and equipment manufacturers by improving operations, boosting revenue and aligning with technology trends.
Sep 13, 2023
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Telecom Leaders Band Together to Fight Phone Fraud

iconectiv’s Bob Grant and Chris Drake will be discussing the available technology and services designed to ensure legitimate calls from businesses are verified and the future of branded calling authentication at the SIPNOC 2023 Conference in Herdon, VA on September 12-13, 2023.
Sep 12, 2023
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MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions Marks Major Milestone in India by Surpassing 400 Million Port In Requests

MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions India (MITS), an iconectiv subsidiary, has accomplished 400 million mobile number port-in requests out of 580 million Zone 2 subscribers in India, underscoring the importance of number portability in driving competition and choice among telecom providers.
Sep 7, 2023
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With Global Telecom Fraud on the Rise, Industry Experts Explore How to Mitigate It

iconectiv’s VP of Information Solutions, Don Holloway, will discuss the evolution of fraud and how regulatory agencies respond at the MEF CONNECTS: The Future of Fraud Prevention Conference in London, U.K. on Tuesday, September 5.
Sep 5, 2023
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With Callback Fraud a Major Issue, Telecom Leader iconectiv Addresses How to Stop It

iconectiv’s Director, Alberto Apablaza, will discuss communications fraud and provide insights on the types of tools available to fight it at the Telco Transformation LATAM conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday, August 30. iconectiv will also be exhibiting from Tuesday, August 29 to Wednesday, August 30.
Aug 29, 2023
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iconectiv Recognized for Mitigating Illegal Robocalls and Restoring Trust in Caller ID

iconectiv's TruReach™ Certify has earned TMC's 2023 Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award for ensuring secure voice calls. Serving as the Secure Telephone Identity Policy Administrator for STIR/SHAKEN, TruReach Certify validates caller IDs with encrypted signatures, combating illegal robocalls.
Aug 21, 2023

Speaking Engagements

john hayes

John Hayes

Senior Director, iconectiv

As Senior Director at iconectiv, John Hayes is responsible for leading the company’s global product cost analysis efforts, fixed asset management and regulatory compliance and reporting initiatives. With over more than 30 years of experience in telecommunications, Hayes has led strategic campaigns to improve network operations for global carriers centered around new investments, utilization and fixed operations. He has also advocated for effective regulatory compliance and reporting and spearheaded financial strategies to reduce carrier expenditures and increase cost savings.

eyad

Eyad Alqadi

Regional Sales Director, EMEA, iconectiv

Eyad Alqadi is the Regional Sales Director, EMEA, at iconectiv. He is responsible for spearheading the company’s expansion in Europe, the Middle East and Africa with a focus on sales strategy, customer relations and consultation and establishing channel partner relationships.

With more than 20 years of experience in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, Alqadi has worked successfully with organizations to leverage various technology solutions to generate value and improve operations, efficiencies, productivity and ultimately their bottom lines.

Alqadi holds a Bachelor of Engineering from New Mexico State University and a Master of Business Administration from Alliance Manchester Business School.

michael carroll

Michael Carroll

Editor, GSMA

Michael doesn’t want to admit that he has been a journalist and editor for close to 20 years covering a diverse set of subjects including shipping and shipbuilding, fixed and mobile telecoms, and motorcycling. He joins Mobile World Live as editor following several years as a freelancer, during which time he worked as the managing editor for Fierce Markets’ European wireless newsletter and editor on TelecomsEMEA.net (published by Questex Asia), and produced a range of feature articles and reports covering sectors including connected cars, IP Exchange (IPX), premium rate services and mobile ticketing for companies including Telecom Asia, mobileSquared and Netsize. Michael previously held various roles as reporter and editor with Informa Telecoms & Media, and as a reporter on Motorcycle News (MCN) – the UK’s largest and oldest weekly motorcycling newspaper.

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Driving Financial Decisions and Compliance with Fixed Asset Management

This session will explore the role of a universal Fixed Asset Management (FAM) structure in the deployment, interconnection and management of service providers’ physical and virtual assets. 
David Estes

David Estes

Principal Solutions Engineer

Dave Estes is a Principal Solutions Engineer on the iconectiv global sales team. He is responsible for providing technical subject matter expertise for iconectiv’s TruNumber platform, which provides accurate phone number data that operators need to offer seamless portability, detect and diagnose issues quickly, and help combat telephone fraud.

Dave is a wireless industry veteran and before joining iconectiv worked at T-Mobile USA and managed the Roaming Business Operations team, responsible for testing & launching roaming services, fraud, steering and inter-operator issues. Dave also worked at Syniverse Technologies where he held various management roles in Product Management, Account Management and Sales Engineering. Dave has extensive knowledge, experience and expertise in data clearing, financial clearing, fraud and roaming for telecom operators and has participated in many industry and user groups.   
Dave holds a BA in business administration/marketing from the University of Puget Sound.

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Protect Your Customers from One-Ring Scams: Trusted Tools to Fight Fraud

During the panel session, “Protect Your Customers from One-Ring Scams: Trusted Tools to Fight Fraud,” iconectiv telecom fraud expert David Estes discussed how CSPs are upgrading their existing call-blocking analytics to identify calls from high-risk and unallocated number ranges and suspicious premium-rate numbers.
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SHAKEN Goes Global: Opportunities and Challenges for Service Providers and Regulators Worldwide

Keeping the voice ecosystem safe and attractive for consumers and business is an objective we all share. Fortunately, progress with STIR/SHAKEN, centralized caller verification via Registered Caller™ and the emergence of Rich Call Data is having a significant impact on the way we connect and communicate.
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Rich Call Data (RCD) Best Practices: Building Trust for Future Success

With illegal robocalls now representing nearly half of all unwanted calls in the U.S., according to the FCC, it’s no wonder that the lion’s share of calls from unidentified or unfamiliar calls (76%) are left unanswered. While verified information and initiatives like STIR/SHAKEN have helped mitigate illegal and unwanted robocalls, the telco industry must continue to develop additional frameworks to protect consumers and businesses.