Cloud communications have grown and evolved so quickly the FCC and its rules and regulations have struggled to keep up. Unscrupulous businesses have taken advantage by flooding the market with robocalls using fake Caller ID, or “spoofing,” plus a wealth of messaging spam, all leading to the question: who’s looking out for the consumers who feel they can’t trust the calls and texts arriving in their devices?
According to research released in August from Robokiller.com, Americans are on track to receive 71 billion spam calls in 2021, with consumers set to lose more than $615 million as a result. Additionally, Americans are expected to receive 86B spam texts and may suffer financial losses of $101 million this year.
Who’s doing what to address what we’d call communications integrity?
In response to illegal robocalls and Caller ID spoofing, the FCC drafted STIR/SHAKEN legislation forcing companies to verify their identities through the numbers they use. As these new requirements go into effect, however, it has driven up the amount of fraudulent texting—causing the carriers themselves to proactively draft new long code (10DLC) text messaging campaign registration rules, fees, and penalties that are starting to hit now, as well.
While all of this is sorely needed, legitimate companies can hardly keep track. All in all, respondents who use messaging are more concerned about the latest text messaging changes than respondents who use voice are worried about STIR/SHAKEN. This makes sense given that the texting changes are more complex and continue to evolve. In fact, 15% of our survey respondents said 10DLC campaign changes are one of the top three communications issues keeping them up at night.
The Impact of STIR/SHAKEN
A little over a third (37%) of voice users expect STIR/SHAKEN to make no difference. For those who are making legitimate calls using phone numbers purchased from their current providers, we would expect this response. Another 13% aren’t sure; given that calls aren’t being blocked quite yet, this number seems quite reasonable. What is surprising is that almost half (48%) envision their calling efforts being impacted, including more than 8% who foresee a “significant impact.”
Long Code for the Long Haul
Messaging users could pick multiple answers around the kinds of impact from the new long code (10DLC) campaign requirements, and there were a wide range of responses to the rules and fees:
- As expected, 42% said they still don’t know what the effects will be.
- More surprisingly, 18% said they don’t predict any change.
- An average of 20% said they anticipate planning time, labor, blockages, and/or costs to increase—with the highest being costs at 30% of respondents.
- Only a small number of respondents felt the changes will make a positive difference: 12% said they expect increased deliverability, while only 8% foresee increased opens or conversions.
Perhaps the most telling number, however, was the percentage of respondents who say they anticipate reducing the number or size of their campaigns. Even though 20% expect more work and/or higher costs, 42% are unsure, and 12% expect positive effects, a mere 6% said they are likely to reduce messaging—a huge testament to the efficiency and effectiveness of messaging campaigns overall.
Part 1: Enhancing Customer Experiences with Cloud Communications
Part 2: Maintaining Relationships During a Pandemic
Part 3: It’s a New Day – STIR/SHAKEN and 10DLC Messaging Rules
Part 4: The Ideal Cloud Communications Provider
Part 5: What Keeps The SaaS C-Suite Up at Night
Part 6: How SaaS Companies Change as They Grow
Download the Cloud Communications Survey White Paper for full results
See the Survey Webinar Video