How they could stop ROBO calls

I am astounded at the hand-wringing and agonizing over the so-called ROBO calls (computer generated and placed) that are surely annoying to so many of us. This is a problem that seems to me could easily be solved. It just seems that those with the capability to do so do not wish to become involved.

I am not an expert; however, it seems to me that all phone calls must go through a portal (a phone number/line) to enter into the phone system and be delivered to other phone lines. I am sure that the phone companies have some monitoring on all outgoing call requests (calls being placed from a line) ... or have the capability to easily put such monitoring in place. After all, police with appropriate legal orders can obtain records of calls made from or to a phone number.

Why couldn’t the phone company place a monitor on each line and when the throughput exceeds, say, five call requests per minute (more than a person can dial) the line (portal) be instantly closed temporarily until justification can be provided by the user and validated that the line is not being used for ROBO calls?

If the phone companies are unwilling to do this on their own, then the FCC should require it. Content is not being monitored so there should not be a privacy issue involved. Allowances could be made for those lines/portals used by emergency agencies to alert people to near-term threats (tornadoes, evacuations or such). Simple solution ... why are we not doing it?

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 1:11 PM with the headline "How they could stop ROBO calls."