STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re:	Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, CG Docket No. 17-59. 
	
	I detest robocalls.  I know my colleagues do, too.  So does anyone and everyone I know.  It’s no wonder, because there were 5 billion robocalls nationwide last month.  That’s more than double the amount of robocalls we had at the start of last year.  If this is a battle, consumers are on the side that’s losing.  

	Whatever we are doing now at the Federal Communications Commission to prevent this onslaught, it’s not enough.  So sign me up for today’s effort.  I support this decision.  It promises to cut down on one discrete segment of unwanted calls—those made to reassigned numbers.  But here’s the thing.  The database we establish today won’t be up and running anytime soon.  There is no deadline for its implementation, no date by which we can ensure its operation, and no time by which we can ensure consumers relief.

	We need help now.  We have a crisis on our hands.  The explosive increase in robocalls is systematically eroding public trust in our networks.  At the same time, today there are call identification and blocking tools that many service providers offer to consumers, some at no charge.  I think in light of this crisis, they should be available to every consumer for free.  Collectively we can restore faith in our networks and restore sanity to those on the receiving end of these nuisance calls.  Because I am tired of waiting, this morning I sent letters to major providers of voice service requesting they make robocall blocking tools available to every consumer at no cost where it is technically feasible to do so.  We are in an arms race and everyone with a phone is behind in the battle against robocalls.  It’s time to even the fight.  I hope my colleagues will join me in this effort.