International Telecoms Risk Forum (ITRF)

Where telecoms credit and risk professionals connect, share, and strengthen performance.

The International Telecoms Risk Forum (ITRF) is a member-led network for professionals managing credit and risk across international telecoms carriers and related service providers.

We exist to reduce bad debt exposure, improve decision-making, and promote best practice through structured discussion, data exchange, and peer collaboration.

Our Raison d’être

Wholesale telecoms operates in a demanding, fast-moving environment. Credit exposures grow quickly, payments can be unpredictable, and cross-border complexities — from tax to sanctions — add constant pressure.
ITRF provides a secure, neutral environment where members can share real-world experiences and factual information to support informed, timely credit decisions.
Our purpose is to help members minimise loss, protect revenue, and build stronger, more resilient credit management processes.

How ITRF Works

Quarterly Forum Meetings
Members meet four times per year — two hybrid and two virtual sessions — to discuss customer performance, late payment behaviour, disputes, disconnections, and current market conditions.
Workshops focus on practical credit risk issues such as exposure management, billing disputes, tax complexity, and difficult-country recoveries.

TIMS: Telecom Information Management System
Between meetings, members stay connected through TIMS, a structured and secure online platform used for sharing factual data and experiences. Around 1,000 enquiries each quarter are exchanged between members, helping to validate risk, verify accounts, and guide credit decisions.

Structured Discussion Lists

• Review Accounts List: a recurring list of accounts examined each meeting.
• Companies List: member-submitted accounts for open review and discussion.

Clear Rules of Engagement
Members share factual, historic, and public-domain data to support credit risk assessment.
Forward-looking commercial information such as pricing, terms, or market allocation is not discussed.
The forum operates under a robust governance framework and data protection policy to ensure compliant, responsible collaboration.

Who Should Join

Membership is open to international telecoms carriers, operators, and service providers with responsibility for credit and risk management.
Typical participants include credit, collections, and finance professionals who make day-to-day exposure and payment decisions.
Fraud management representatives often contribute as part of broader risk discussions, where relevant to credit loss prevention.

Member Benefits

• Improved bad debt control through shared insight and practical experience.
• Earlier identification of risk — spotting deteriorating accounts and payment behaviour faster.
• More informed decision-making via real-world intelligence from peer companies.
• Continuous learning from workshops and live case studies.
• Access to trusted data through TIMS, providing a daily, structured information exchange.

Occasional fraud and compliance insight, ensuring members stay alert to evolving risks.

Membership Details

• Company membership: one annual fee per organisation, with multiple approved representatives.
• Annual fee: £1,500 per annum (pro-rata if joining mid-year).
• Membership year: September to August.
• Application process:
  • Submit a short application for Steering Committee review.
  • Membership circulated for feedback.

Attend your first meeting free, following signature of an NDA.

What We Discuss

• Credit risk management and exposure control.
• Collections performance and dispute resolution.
• Country risk, sanctions, and withholding taxes.
• Billing and payment behaviour across wholesale and interconnect partners.
• Industry trends in O2C process efficiency.
• Fraud indicators where these directly impact credit losses.

Ready to Join?

Be part of the international community improving credit performance across the telecoms sector.
To start your membership conversation or request an application pack, click the Become a member option…….