Insights

Protecting Your Businesses and Customers: The Power of the RND

Nov 07, 2023

The world of telecom has a powerful new ally in the battle against telecom fraudsters, and its name is the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND). Launched in 2021, this tool is revolutionizing how businesses protect their customers – and their bottom line.

At the Somos Summit 2023, a panel of compliance experts led by Beth Sprague, Senior Director of RND Administration at SomosGov, shed light on the RND's pivotal role in safeguarding consumers and businesses. The panelists, including:

• Puja Amin, Partner and Co-Founder at Troutman Amin, LLP
• Eric Troutman, Partner and Co-Founder at Troutman Amin, LLP
• Daniyal Khan, Product Manager at Somos
• Isaac Shloss, Chief Product Officer at Contact Center Compliance

offered insight into how the RND is reshaping the telecom landscape.

In 2021, the RND was born with a clear mission: to fight back against telecom fraud and protect consumers from unwanted calls. Specifically, it was developed to provide an authoritative database that keeps track of phone numbers that have been reassigned to new users. This is significant as it allows businesses to avoid inadvertently contacting individuals who haven’t consented to receive calls or texts, thus avoiding costly Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) violation fines. 

How is the RND making waves in the telecom industry? The panelists for the session, “Reassigning” Future Trust – How the RND is Driving Next Level Consumer Protection” answered this question by sharing the:

1. The Who, What and Why
   
   Established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and developed by Somos, the RND securely houses information on all permanently disconnected U.S. geographic and Toll-Free Numbers as well as the date of the most recent permanent disconnection of the numbers. With data populated directly by Service Providers, the RND offers a comprehensive resource for identifying permanently disconnected numbers. By reducing the number of unwanted calls made to a reassigned number, the RND helps provide an added layer of protection to consumers and supports improved trust and confidence in phone calls.
   
    
2. The Role of the TCPA
   
   Puja Amin started the session by providing background on the TCPA and its relationship to the RND. Founded in 1991, the TCPA is all about protecting consumers from unwanted calls, explained Puja. The statute’s primary duty is to regulate technology to ensure that calls cannot be made without a consumer’s consent. It also helps prevent businesses from calling numbers on the Do Not Call list. As stated by Puja, “In today’s telecom landscape, TCPA compliance is a non-negotiable.”
   
    
3. The Disrupter with a Plan
   
   Eric Troutman, a prominent class action defense lawyer, discussed his role in convincing the FCC to adopt the concept of the RND. As a turning point in the fight against TCPA violations, the introduction of the RND has proven to produce results – and, with it, staggering financial implications. Specifically, Eric shared a jaw-dropping case study involving a major financial institution that was faced with lawsuits worth an astounding $50 billion for sending text receipts to reassigned numbers. 
   
    
4. Ensuring Compliance and Consent
   
   Isaac Shloss emphasized the importance of customer consent and the potential pitfalls of not having access to an up-to-date database like the RND. He recounted cases where well-intentioned businesses found themselves entangled in class action lawsuits, all because customers changed their numbers without informing the company. 
   
    
5. Real-World Applications
   
   Daniyal Khan shared practical examples of how clients have swiftly adopted the RND to ensure that the contact information in their databases is accurate, correct and current. While impressive, these case studies are only the tip of the iceberg. Still in its infancy – the RND has only been live for two years, remember – there is still a lot of opportunity for the RND to grow and for organizations to gain trust, confidence and compliance.
   
    
6. Flexibility at your Fingertips  
   
   Some of the most attractive benefits of the RND are its flexibility, ease of use and user-friendly interface. Offering 24x7x365 access, the database allows users to query it at their own pace. While some organizations check it monthly, noted the panelists, others access it more frequently. In addition to speaking to the RND’s operational functionality, the panelists also emphasized the importance of a robust compliance approach, suggesting that organizations should regularly scrub their data against the RND to avoid unintentional calls and honeypots.

As can be seen, the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND) is proving to be a game-changer in the fight against unwanted calls and TCPA violations. With over 377 million records, 1 billion inquiries and 50 million avoided wrong calls, it has become an indispensable tool for businesses and telecom carriers. 

At the Somos Summit 2023, the panelists for the session, “Reassigning” Future Trust – How the RND is Driving Next Level Consumer Protection,” made one thing clear: the RND is NOT just a compliance necessity but also a strategic asset for those looking to stay ahead in the realm of consumer protection and telecommunications.

To learn more about the 2023 Somos Summit and to gain access to on-demand recordings, visit www.somos.com/summit.