Latest news with #VoiceoverInternetProtocol
Time Business News
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Boost Communication and Connectivity with VoIP and Network Design in Houston
As businesses in Houston continue to grow and embrace digital transformation, having the right communication and network infrastructure is more important than ever. A modern organization depends on high-quality phone systems and a reliable internal network to maintain productivity, security, and efficiency. That's why more companies are investing in VoIP Houston solutions and professional Network Design Services Houston to build a strong, future-proof IT foundation. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology allows businesses to make phone calls over the internet rather than traditional phone lines. Companies in Houston are rapidly adopting VoIP systems because of their affordability, flexibility, and advanced features. Lower Communication Costs : VoIP significantly reduces phone bills and eliminates the need for costly hardware. : VoIP significantly reduces phone bills and eliminates the need for costly hardware. Advanced Features : Includes call forwarding, voicemail to email, call analytics, and video conferencing. : Includes call forwarding, voicemail to email, call analytics, and video conferencing. Remote Access : Employees can make and receive calls from mobile devices, desktops, or VoIP-enabled phones. : Employees can make and receive calls from mobile devices, desktops, or VoIP-enabled phones. Scalability: Easily expand or reduce the number of lines based on team size. Using VoIP Houston services helps businesses streamline communication while maintaining high-quality voice and video capabilities. While great communication tools are essential, they are only as good as the network that supports them. That's where Network Design Services Houston play a critical role. From structured cabling to wireless access points and firewalls, a professionally designed network ensures that your business runs smoothly and securely. Infrastructure Planning : Custom network architecture based on your business needs and layout. : Custom network architecture based on your business needs and layout. Secure Connections : Design includes firewalls, VPNs, and network segmentation to protect data. : Design includes firewalls, VPNs, and network segmentation to protect data. Speed Optimization : Proper configuration of routers, switches, and cabling for peak performance. : Proper configuration of routers, switches, and cabling for peak performance. Wireless & Wired Solutions: A balanced design that supports both mobility and stability. Choosing experienced Network Design Services Houston providers ensures your entire operation stays connected, stable, and scalable. While VoIP Houston enhances your communication, strong Network Design Services Houston ensure that those systems—and all other digital tools—perform at their best. Without a reliable network, even the most advanced phone system will face interruptions, call drops, or poor audio quality. By investing in both areas, businesses enjoy: Seamless internal and external communication Stable and secure network environments Improved employee collaboration Reduced downtime and IT-related disruptions Yes, most VoIP providers offer number porting, allowing you to retain your existing business number. Setup can often be completed within 1–2 days, depending on the size of your team and existing infrastructure. Expert-designed networks are optimized for performance, security, and future expansion—something DIY setups often lack. VoIP requires a stable, high-speed internet connection. Your provider can help assess and upgrade your network if needed. Yes. Modern network setups include secure remote access solutions like VPNs and cloud-based resources for remote teams. For businesses in Houston looking to modernize operations, the combination of a powerful communication system and a well-designed network is essential. Leveraging VoIP Houston allows for flexible, high-quality business calls, while investing in Network Design Services Houston ensures the entire system is fast, secure, and reliable. Together, they provide the foundation your business needs to thrive in a digital-first world. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- AsiaOne
11 arrested in joint operation by Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia police against scam syndicate, Singapore News
A joint operation targeting a transnational scam syndicate saw the arrest of 11 individuals aged between 24 and 48 across Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The operation, which took place from April to June this year, involved the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) and Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), said SPF in a statement released on Tuesday (June 17). During the operation, officers from SPF's Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department worked closely with their counterparts from HKPF and RMP to target multiple locations across the three jurisdictions. Investigations revealed that the syndicate had established a sophisticated criminal network spanning Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The syndicate utilised Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Global System for Mobile (GSM) gateway devices, allowing scam calls to be placed from computers and laptops to mobile phones. It was also discovered that the syndicate employed an advanced, cloud-based remote operating system. This enabled them to make fraudulent calls through local mobile phone networks despite being stationed elsewhere, leading victims in Singapore to believe they were receiving calls from within the country. Police seized 226 GSM gateway devices — 76 from Singapore — while conducting raids at various locations in the three jurisdictions. 141 of them were confiscated in Hong Kong. Among the 11 individuals who were arrested for their suspected involvement in the syndicate was a 29-year-old male suspect. He was arrested in Malaysia on June 3 before being handed over to Singapore and charged in court two days later for being a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit cheating offences. If convicted, he could face an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine. Commenting on the operation, CAD Director David Chew stressed that "a transnational threat requires a transnational response". "Scam syndicates build sophisticated transnational cloud network infrastructure to launch attacks on our citizenry," he said. "This successful operation demonstrates the strong partnership between SPF, HKPF and RMP to combat these transnational scam syndicates." "The coordinated efforts with our foreign counterparts have been instrumental in arresting the criminals maintaining this criminal infrastructure and dismantling it," he added. Chew also assured that the SPF will continue to work closely with its partners to detect, deter and disrupt such criminal activities and prosecute those behind them to the fullest extent of the law. Those who wish to learn more about scams can visit or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799, the police added. Anyone with information on such scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit a report online at All information will be kept strictly confidential. [[nid:718792]]
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cell phone bills to go up in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, (WBOY) — Starting next month, West Virginians will see a slight increase to their cell phone bills. According to a release Thursday from the Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia, the wireless enhanced 911 (WE911) fee in West Virginia will increase by 10.2 percent in July, going from $3.64 to $4.01. On top of that, wireless providers will begin to collect a $0.08 wireless tower fee and a $0.29 public safety wireless fee, both of which will be shown separately on customers' bills. In total, customers will see their 911 fees jump from $3.64 to $4.38. All of West Virginia under Air Quality Alert Thursday So what do these funds do? The funds from these new fees are designed to go toward improving and operating 911 and emergency phone services, the release said. The PSC collects the fees through wireless service providers, but the funds are redistributed to counties. The WE911 fee can be recalculated every two years based on costs that county commissions impose on local exchange and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) users, which is known as the enhanced 911 fee. If the enhanced 911 fee goes up by a certain percentage, the WE911 fee is set to match it. In March 2025, the PSC voted to increase the enhanced 911 fee by 10.17 percent, meaning that the WE911 fee has now been raised to match, rounding to the nearest penny. According to the West Virginia State Code, the fee can never increase by more than 25% at a time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kolkata Police arrests six for operating fake call centre
K olkata: The Cyber Police Station on Tuesday arrested six persons for allegedly operating an illegal call centre that targeted US residents through various tech support scams. The arrests were made between 4 am and 4:35 am at a ground floor facility on Diamond Harbour Road. The accused have been identified as Aman Sharma (25), Deepak Singh (26), Rahul Das (30), Avinash Singh (21), Sudhir Kumar Mahato (28), and Pratik Kumar Singh (27). The cops stated that the accused used organised money transfer routes and even cryptocurrency to trick their victims. According to police, the suspects posed as representatives of Microsoft and Norton, making Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to US residents. They allegedly defrauded victims by gaining remote access to their computers and siphoning money from their accounts. "The group operated a sophisticated scam operation using advanced technology to appear legitimate to their victims," said a senior cyber police official who requested anonymity as the investigation is ongoing. Police recovered ₹3,50,500 in cash, five laptops, nine mobile phones, and three multimedia headphones from the premises. Additional evidence, including VoIP diallers and remote access software, were also seized. The accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and BNS Act, 2023, including provisions related to computer-related offences, identity theft, and cheating by personation. "This arrest highlights our ongoing efforts to combat cyber fraud operations targeting international victims," the official added. "We urge citizens to remain vigilant and never share remote access to their devices with unknown callers." The suspects were produced before the court on Tuesday with a police remand request. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the full extent of the financial losses and identify potential additional perpetrators.
Forbes
29-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why States Must Stop Treating Your Smartphone Like A Dumb Rotary Phone
Woman Talking on Telephone (Photo by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images) Plain old telephone service (POTS) has been dying a slow death in the United States since the turn of the century. The number of POTS lines peaked at 192.5 million in 2000; by June 2024, only 7.6 million residential POTS lines remained. For much of the 20th century, almost every American household used only POTS to make a phone call. Now, only 1.3% of households rely on POTS to do so. What happened? Consumers flocked to mobile and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) – advanced platforms that did not exist during the heyday of POTS's monopoly reign. The total number of mobile telephone lines in the U.S. surpassed POTS in 2004. Today, there are more than 388 million mobile lines in service. The number of VoIP lines passed POTS in 2013. There are now more than 64 million VoIP lines in service. This is not news to the tens of millions of Americans who cut their telephone cord years ago and embraced mobile telephony or VoIP and all the advanced features they offer, like nationwide calling and the go-anywhere convenience of a cellphone. Unfortunately, for some state policymakers, the horse and buggy that is POTS continues to loom large, shaping their misinformed view of the advanced communications sector. Worryingly, some states have not only resisted removing outdated POTS laws from their books; they are actively seeking to extend those rules to new communications technologies, which have thrived in a competitive marketplace governed by a deregulatory framework. By doing so, states will undermine investment in new networks, increase prices, and ultimately harm consumers. None of this is good for America. Backwards-looking, heavy-handed regulation never has been. Go Your Own Way…Or Maybe Not? When it comes to applying old rules to new communications technologies, California has been in the vanguard. It has refused requests to roll back POTS-era rules; sought to regulate VoIP like POTS; and is finalizing rules that would hold competitive offerings like mobile and VoIP to a more punitive version of service quality standards originally devised for Ma Bell. At the same time, though, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), along with dozens of other states, have been actively engaged in regulatory modernization aimed at removing POTS rules to incentivize and accelerate the deployment of modern networks. California's approach is misguided and fails to put customers first. States sometimes choose to forge their own path on certain issues. This seems to happen more often in California than elsewhere. Indeed, the state has a history of choosing an alternate path on issues like vehicle emissions and data privacy. In many of those instances, however, California framed its actions as necessary to either fill a perceived gap left by federal inaction, as it did when it passed a privacy law after years of failure by Congress to do so, or to go above and beyond existing federal rules, as it has done with vehicle emissions (California's federal waiver allowing it to impose stricter emissions standards is at risk of being revoked). On issues of national importance, outlier approaches create collective action problems, which stifle progress towards achieving a shared federal goal. Assuring an orderly and timely transition away from POTS has been a national imperative since the early 2010s, when the Obama-era FCC began taking steps to relieve POTS providers of monopoly-era obligations so they could invest in modern networks and improve the services that consumers are actually using. Each subsequent FCC, under both Republican and Democratic leadership, has taken additional steps down this path. This reflects and furthers the country's bipartisan light-touch approach to regulating advanced communications platforms at a national level. Consistency and predictability are critical to maximizing investment, innovation, and overall consumer welfare gains. California has lost its way. Its proposed service quality rules illustrate just how far outside the mainstream the state is on these issues and how continued pursuit of its unique – and highly regulatory – agenda for communications services could impede national transition efforts. Welcome To The Hotel California The notion of service quality rules might sound innocuous, but the rules proposed in California are incredibly exacting and could end up harming consumers rather than protecting them. In a nutshell, California seeks to regulate voice service quality by applying standards governing how providers of all ilk – POTS, mobile, and VoIP – address almost every aspect of service, including how quickly they act in response to an installation request; reporting on and fixing outages; crediting customers for service disruptions; and how long it takes for a customer service rep to pick up the phone. In many cases, the proposed rules are stricter, and the penalties more punitive, than the rules devised just for POTS, the antiquated technology deployed and governed as a natural monopoly service. Where's the beef? Numerous stakeholders of all sizes have faulted regulators for failing to provide compelling data demonstrating actual negative trends in service outages or degradation in service quality. For example, many have argued that the outage data cited by regulators in support of their rules generally fail to account for the underlying cause of the disruption. Oftentimes, a mobile or VoIP outage is attributable to a loss of electric power, a common occurrence in California that is beyond the control of communications service providers. For these reasons, the FCC has rightfully forged a different approach, one that supports investment in network reliability and encourages collaboration among communications providers and electric utilities to restore service. At the same time, there appears to have been little effort by regulators in California to weigh the compliance costs for providers against the benefits the proposed service quality rules purport to deliver to customers. This is especially relevant in the context of POTS, the user base of which is rapidly shrinking. Per the latest FCC data, there are less than 600,000 residential POTS subscriptions in California (population: 39.4 million). POTS prices will inevitably rise as service providers pass through some portion of their higher compliance costs to a smaller number of customers. Meanwhile, the compliance costs for newly imposed standards on mobile and VoIP providers will also likely be passed through in part to customers, resulting in higher prices for them as well. To the extent some of these costs cannot be recouped, there will be less capital available to service providers to invest in next-generation networks or to invest in the same customer service tools the rules claim to incent. This ultimately harms consumers and frustrates timely realization of an overarching goal to move on from POTS so that new platforms are not burdened, directly or indirectly, by monopoly-era rules. What's Next California is not alone in dragging its feet on the transition away from POTS. Numerous states still have POTS-era rules in effect. Some, following California's lead, are also exploring whether to regulate broadband, VoIP, and mobile like traditional telephone service. Inevitably, these actions will trigger lawsuits, with service providers arguing that federal law limits state authority to regulate non-POTS services. Even in the context of POTS, arguments could be made that state efforts impeding fulfillment of national goals for the POTS transition might also be susceptible to preemption. A sounder approach would be for state policymakers to listen to what consumers are telling them about their communications preferences and react accordingly. In the case of voice communications, consumers have been voting with their feet for years. Unlike 50 or 100 years ago when POTS ruled the world, there is no shortage of options for people to communicate with each other. And now with satellite 'direct to cell' technology rolling out alongside grant funds via the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will facilitate universal broadband availability, there are few parts of the country where some form of non-POTS communications platform is unavailable. In this new environment, providers are aggressively competing on service quality, speed, latency, price, and a host of other service parameters. Regulation is not a bad word, but in the advanced communications arena, the type of regulation being considered by California and others is simply not necessary. If a customer feels let down by one voice or non-voice service, they can easily switch to another. And that is exactly what they are doing. Any action that impedes these dynamics should be flatly rejected because unnecessarily regulating a competitive marketplace will only harm consumers. States might also take a page from the FCC and adopt a 'delete, delete, delete' mindset and begin to actively review and repeal antiquated regulations. Regulators can do their job if they deregulate. There is no requirement that they must regulate just for the sake of regulating. Finally, the spate of recent regulatory actions in California only adds to the urgency for Congress to update federal communications law. This is long overdue and critical now that the Supreme Court has made clear that administrative agencies like the FCC can only act according to specific Congressional delegations of authority. An update that empowers the FCC to facilitate a smooth transition from POTS by allowing it to preempt burdensome and backward-looking regulatory actions like those in California is needed.
