VoIP is fast emerging as a pervasive business communications technology, offering businesses an affordable, flexible and scalable substitute to traditional phone systems. Nevertheless, the use of VoIP technology implies the need to navigate a confusing world of regulations that are put in place to enforce security, preserve data privacy, uphold public safety, and encourage healthy competition.
Carriers, VoIP Service Providers and businesses who utilize VoIP all have a general understanding of the requirements relating to their regulatory compliance, but businesses using VoIP often question whether they should also be concerned with these legal mandates.
This blog will discuss the regulatory framework applied to business users of VoIP and look at their obligations and the consequences of legal compliance.
What is VoIP Compliance?
VoIP compliance regulations include General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) that are aimed at protecting the data of the users in addition to ensuring fair play. Adherence to the same is not only morally correct but crucial in as far as keeping a business on the legal safe side is concerned.
The consequences of not adhering to these regulations may be quite extensive, including negative effects on the reputation of the company, and huge financial fines. This means that the knowledge and application of these regulations ought to be included in the business strategic plan in case of VoIP usage.
VoIP Compliance: Key Laws and Regulatory Bodies
There are a lot of regulatory requirements applicable to your use of VoIP Compliance criteria to the minor variations in the laws worldwide. So without further ado, let us take a look at some of the most important governing organizations that govern UK communications and how their decisions apply to VoIP users.
1. Ofcom (Office of Communications)
The Telecommunications regulation body in the UK is called Ofcom. Its codes and rules safeguard its consumers and keep the communications networks of UK safe and trustworthy.
In the UK, regulation of VoIP services is carried out by Ofcom by:
i. Providing general authorisations to VoIP providers and writing the regulations that they should abide by providing their services in UK.
ii. Making sure that VoIP providers are subject to consumer protection laws, such as clear pricing, billing accuracy and information clarity concerning the nature of the services being offered;
iii. The accessibility of the VoIP systems to the emergency services as well as the availability of caller information to the emergency responders
iv. Enforcing the compliance by audits, investigations and legal enforcement against providers that fail to comply with the regulations.
2. European Telecommunications Standards institute (ETSI)
ETSI provides regulatory standards in telecommunications in Europe; and even after the UK has left the EU many UK VoIP providers continue to comply with these standards.
They do this since ETSI decisions assist providers to keep track of their operations quality. This also encompasses the necessary pitches of Business Communication like security and the way VoIP providers utilize the information they possess.
3. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
GDPR implements rigid protection and privacy rules on UK and EU-based companies. This is also applicable to the VoIP services since its users and providers are concerned with much incoming, outgoing and stored data.
Even though the UK is overall compatible with the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, it does not mean that it does not take over many of the core principles of the GDPR.
4. Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II)
This is an EU regulation that is not directly applicable to VoIP but is meant to enhance transparency in financial markets. The decision has resulted in companies within the financial sector recording customer telephone conversations. Most VoIP providers have incorporated their solutions with this need with features such as the Gamma Horizon calling recorder being included on services provided by T2K.
What is the Benefit of These Regulations?
Good knowledge of regulatory bodies is essential, and it will assist you in locating the relevant information, as and when required. Nevertheless, one should also know the details of what they are in charge of and the reason why they do so.
1. Access to Emergency Services
As discussed above, VoIP providers need to make sure that their services enable users to reach and be supported by the emergency services within a short period. These include that the VoIP systems must be capable of delivering proper caller location information to the emergency call operators. This aids the emergency responders to make available prompt help without compromising the time used in attending to other emergencies.
2. Consumer Protection
There are also regulations concerning consumer protection. These decisions protect the customers by requiring the VoIP service providers to provide transparent pricing, clear and fair contracts and effective handling of complaints. This will assist in developing customer confidence within the sector as well as eliminating any manipulative conduct amongst the rival service providers.
3. Privacy and Data Protection
The responsibility of the use, distribution, and storage of customer personal data is also top of the list of priorities of VoIP business users. This involves informing the customers in case their information was stolen or in case there was a data breach. Although the customers might not be satisfied, integrity in matters concerning this can strengthen the customer faith and create a precedence of good customer-business relations.
What Are the VoIP Compliance Issues?
Maintaining compliance with regulations whilst operating VoIP may be time-consuming and laborious. Such is usually because of the difference in international standards and dynamic local regulations. As you ensure that your organisation is in the know of all the latest regulations, you will reap the fruits of lawful digital communication.
i. Security Concerns
Your organisation depends on your security measures. It is imperative to make sure that they are well updated and meet all the standards to ensure that the information about the customers is safe and can not be accessed by malicious or unauthorised individuals. The security risks involved in VoIP communications are going to be minimized by the introduction of encryption, access controls and intrusion detection systems.
ii. Service Quality Maintenance
VoIP enables companies to offer outstanding customer care because of its flexibility, and broadband connection. Nevertheless, users who have difficulty meeting the system requirements of VoIP, might witness a drastic decline in quality, which can lead to financial and reputational losses.
It might also become a regulatory challenge to both VoIP providers and users, where the regulations declare that a business should immediately address any issues involving the quality of calls, delay, and jitter. To make sure that your VoIP network is up to these standards you can set up a schedule of monitoring and maintaining service quality standards in your business.
How to Overcome the issues of VoIP Compliance?
When seeking to fulfill the VoIP compliance standards, it would be important to be proactive with your strategies. This will enable you to keep up with the most current decisions, put you in a better control of unforeseen circumstances and protect the integrity of your VoIP business.
i. Compliant VoIP Service Providers
Spare some time to research your chosen provider with regulatory guidelines, security and privacy certification, and the way they integrate industry best practices. This will provide you with a better idea of their working mode and the service you are likely to get in future.
ii. Enhancing Your Security Measures
With cloud-based VoIP choices, security features are typically maintained by your provider. Nevertheless, you want to know the strength of their security and whether you have to add additional security in your network. Make sure your provider offers such protocols as encryption and access control to limit security risks and meet the appropriate regulatory requirements.
iii. Developing Your Own Policies
Developing detailed compliance policies will give you a framework that you can use again and again to define your obligations, duties and methods of handling related problems.
You might also want to consider compliance training of the employees along with occasional audits of your own operations. The former will assist in establishing a compliance culture in your business whereas the latter will enable you to keep up to date with the most recent regulatory decisions that can affect your VoIP usage
Final Words - VoIP Compliance
Whether you run a large enterprise or a small company, you need to make sure that you can enjoy the cost-effective advantages, as well as the flexibility and user-friendliness of VoIP only after making sure that you can do that in accordance with the relevant regulations.
This will minimize the chances of a lawsuit against you and will demonstrate your desire to provide your customers with an outstanding service.
Remember, compliance does not equal rule-following in the short-term. It is about sustaining with the regulatory environment and aligning your business with the latest decisions. In that manner, you will be capable of taking advantage of digital communication benefits without putting your business and customers at risk.
