Orange has launched the first fully-integrated wholesale offer that provides large protection for telecoms operators against fraudulent interconnect and revenue leakage.

As a global network operator with broad ranging expertise in telecommunication security, Orange is ideally positioned to bring such a service to the market.

The first offer, which stands for Anti Fraud Interconnect Roaming & Security of Transactions, is designed to provide operators with protection against fraudulent interaction with networks for on-net and off-net calls as well as providing additional services such as revenue assurance and security of transactions.

 The telecom industry has become a prime target of criminal organisations due to the complexity of network infrastructure, and in particular the way in which different networks interact with each other. Indeed the wide range of interconnection equipment between different operators’ networks and the lack of visibility over the exact route that calls take has made it possible for criminals to exploit weaknesses in the system.

A particularly well-known example is SIM-box fraud in which international calls are filtered through national SIM cards, allowing companies to illegally bypass the call termination charges.

This has now become a global issue that costs the industry billions of dollars every year as increasingly sophisticated techniques are used. But in addition to threatening operator’s revenue streams, fraud is also causing considerable damage to operators’ reputations by degrading quality of service. This is a particular challenge in a context where the quality of service is a crucial factor in increasing customers’ loyalty regarding traditional services as well as new ones, including payment services.

“Orange believes in the importance of fighting fraud in a cooperative and coordinated manner. Due to the highly interdependent nature of operators in the wholesale market, they must work closely to end this growing phenomenon. Operators need to take collective action to develop both technical and legal means to protect their interconnect revenue” said Alexandre Pebereau, Executive Vice President for International Carriers at Orange.