Roskomnadzor sent notifications to telecom operators about the need to connect to the Antifraud system

Roskomnadzor notified more than a thousand telecom operators of the need to urgently connect to the Antifraud call verification system, otherwise they face fines of up to 1 million rubles. Despite the fact that the final deadline is set for February 2024, the regulator notifies each market participant separately and the implementation time may vary. Large operators have already joined, so the pressure will primarily affect small and medium-sized operators. They also emphasize that the system is not fully operational and makes mistakes.

Since mid-November, telecom operators in Moscow and the Moscow region began receiving notifications from Roskomnadzor about drawing up a protocol on an administrative offense for lack of connection to the state call verification system “Antifrod,” Kommersant was told in the Association of Small Regional Telecom Operators (AMOR, unites more than 100 companies) . “Kommersant” has read three notifications, they refer to a violation of Art. 13.2.1 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the fine for which is 50–100 thousand rubles. for officials, 400–800 thousand rubles. for individual entrepreneurs and from 600 thousand rubles. up to 1 million rubles for legal entities.

AMOR clarified that a number of organizations received notifications after connecting to the system: “Roskomnadzor refers to the lack of notification about the readiness of the verification nodes for operation, which the company must send to the regulator no later than 120 calendar days from the date of receipt of the software of the verification nodes.”

The unified platform for verifying telephone calls “Antifraud” of the Main Radio Frequency Center subordinate to Roskomnadzor was officially launched in Russia in winter to combat telephone scammers (see “Kommersant” dated January 18). Connection to it is stipulated in the Law “On Communications”. All telecom operators in the Russian Federation must connect by the end of February 2024.

Initially, two methods were established – directly or through verification nodes of other companies.

In the summer, the authorities discussed a mechanism obliging small operators, including regional and virtual ones, to enter into agreements with the Big Four (MTS, MegaFon, Tele2, VimpelCom) so that all incoming traffic from Russian numbers from abroad would pass through “Antifraud” (see “Kommersant” dated July 3).

As Kommersant’s interlocutor explains in the market, connection to the system takes place in stages; first of all, it is the operators in Moscow and the Moscow region who must do this. For example, according to the text of one of Roskomnadzor’s letters, the operator was notified of the planned connection date back in February 2021 and must be integrated into the system no later than the beginning of October. Now, according to the interlocutor, about 400 companies have received warnings about fines.

Roskomnadzor clarified that “they sent a notification about the need to complete the procedure for connecting to Antifraud to 1,351 telecom operators within the established time frame.” They emphasized that the main condition for the effective operation of the system is the connection of all operators to it.

The Big Four operators are already fully working with Antifraud, Roskomnadzor clarified.

However, for other market participants the situation is more complicated. The department’s actions in relation to small and medium-sized operators lead to a reduction in their number on the market, AMOR believes: “In addition, while the system is only being tested, it makes mistakes and blocks legal calls, which leads to a reduction in the subscriber base. Operators cannot connect until the full launch, so for now it is incorrect to fine companies.”

Kommersant’s market interlocutor does not argue that Antifraud will help fight fraudulent calls, but emphasizes that “the task can be costly both in terms of money and time, which is noticeable for small telecom operators.”

Tatiana Isakova