I work in the telecom space. I was previously over the carrier network at MagicJack and oversaw about 600 million minutes a month of telecom "traffic". I can say that the awareness is a step in the right direction, but these "solutions" are anything but a solution.<p>I don't think it's as simple as people think - for example, simply make sure the person owns the CallerID. At what point in the call stream would that be validated? You have to think that, when a call is made through a typical VoIP provider, it is most likely passed through 10 carriers (through arbitrage long-distance, then IXCs, then tandem/CLLI/POI CLLI).<p>I believe a good step would be to simply let the FTC trace using the CIC code that all carriers send over the PSTN/traditional telecom network. That way, the FTC could track a particular call or number through all the carriers until it reaches the originating information. The FTC has the capability to do that now, and based on the number of subpoena requests I've received (about 10/day), they actively do it.<p>The problem is that the companies doing the "illegal" robocalling (business to consumer/DNC or TSR violations) are overseas. There is no way, IMHO, that it can be stopped as long as long-distance providers exist.
My home phone routes callers not on a white list to a message to "press 1 to ring the line", then drops them into voice mail if they don't do so. A blacklist requires callers to "press 1 to leave a message." Voice mails are transcribed and e-mailed to both me and my wife.<p>Since implementing this about a year ago, I've had zero robocalls actually ring my home line. Previously I was getting 7-10 per week.<p>Implemented using Anveo call flow.
I personally find the following low tech method effective for me:<p>o All home calls go to voicemail without exception. We pick up if we recognize the voice or the caller. No one seems to mind except my mother-in-law. She's gotten used to it though. I've also noticed everyone below a certain age rarely uses voice.<p>o I've added every number with which I regularly interact to my cell address book. If a call comes in from an unknown number, it goes to voicemail without exception.<p>YMMV.<p>Being both a math and a tech person, I would like to do a cost and effectiveness study comparing the purely technical solutions from the contest with solutions like the above.
The ease at which caller id is spoofed could be solved by the carriers. If sent called id information doesn't match line termination information (geo location and owned phone numbers) block the call.