Zain Omantel International (ZOI) joins ‘One Consortium’ to Reduce Fraud and Enhance Trust in International Voice and Messaging

Zain Omantel International (ZOI) joins ‘One Consortium’ to Reduce Fraud and Enhance Trust in International Voice and Messaging, ZOI will collaborate with international telecom operators to share its insights and work to combat illegal voice calls and messages on a global scale. Collaboration to benefit the carrier community, businesses and consumers in MENA and beyond.

Middle East - June 5, 2024 - Zain Omantel International (ZOI), the Middle East's premier international wholesale powerhouse, has joined ‘One Consortium’, a not-for-profit organisation working to tackle illegal and unwanted international voice calls and messages. ‘One Consortium’ brings together major telecom companies like, Lumen, Orange Wholesale, Verizon and Vodafone as well as global industry organisations such as i3Forum, the GSMA, Global Leaders Forum (GLF) and Global Solutions Council (GSC) to address fraud in international telecommunications and its impact on consumers and businesses worldwide.

‘One Consortium’ is working closely with telecom regulators globally, as they collaborate in the new GIRAF (Global Informal Regulatory Antifraud Forum) organisation that just launched with 20 Europeans regulatory authorities on board and more joining soon.

ZOI joins the One Consortium as a voting member and will participate in its working groups. It will help to develop solutions, standards and strategies to build trust in communications and accelerate digital transformation in the Middle East region. One Consortium working groups cover topics like fraud identification best practice, regulatory policy, messaging fraud, international traceback, Calling Line Identification (CLI) spoofing and enhancing trust in telecommunications as a whole.

Sohail Qadir, Chief Executive Officer at ZOI, emphasized the alignment of the company’s core values with the consortium objectives: “Joining One Consortium underscores our commitment to integrity and customer-centricity across the MENA region and beyond. It plays a crucial role in combating fraud across the industry. We are looking forward to working together with the aim of enhancing trust across international telecommunication channels and helping to make a real change across the industry.”

The creation of One Consortium was headed by the i3Forum as a way to assist regulators and policymakers in the journey to enhancing trust across the ecosystem. The voice and messaging industry is to some degree affected by rampant fraud, scams and spoofing attacks.

“We are excited to welcome ZOI to the One Consortium and to have a Middle East-headquartered service provider join us in the fight against voice and messaging fraud. It is critical that we have representation from across the globe as we aim to enhance trust in international telecommunications. Collaboration on a global scale means we can have an impact and benefit the carrier community, businesses and consumers,” said Philippe Millet, Founder and Chairman of the i3Forum. “We value ZOI’s expertise and support and look forward to working with the team.”

As part of One Consortium, ZOI seeks to shape regional industry advancements and contribute to the creation of effective solutions and regulations across the globe. ZOI serves over 55 million customers across 8 countries of operation and is the leading wholesale provider in the Middle East with an extensive network of low latency and high-capacity services. ZOI’s membership to One Consortium solidifies its position as the comprehensive network provider to meet increasing demands of international customers.

About ZOI

Zain Omantel International (ZOI) is the Middle East’s premier wholesale powerhouse serving regional operators, international carriers, global hyperscalers and cloud providers seeking services within the region and beyond. The first-of-its-kind joint venture signifies a substantial advancement in the telecommunications industry and is poised to become a global powerhouse due to Zain's extensive regional presence and success in the retail and digital arenas, combined with Omantel’s exceptional wholesale capabilities and comprehensive international subsea and terrestrial networks. ZOI manages all international wholesale requirements of Zain and Omantel operations in eight countries, serving close to 50 million customers. For more details, please visit www.zainomantel.com

About i3Forum

The i3Forum is a non-profit industry body that drives global collaboration and innovation across the international communications ecosystem through an open and inclusive model. The i3Forum and its community develop practical recommendations, tools, solutions, and policies to help understand consumer behavior, leverage technology, adapt to regulatory requirements, and foster trust in international communications. For more information, visit www.i3forum.org.