FCC Grants STIR/SHAKEN Extension for Small Voice Providers

Small providers must file robocall mitigation certifications

Prior to its September open meeting this week, the FCC adopted a Second Report and Order further implementing the TRACED Act to fight against illegal robocalls. The Order includes a limited extension of the STIR/SHAKEN implementation deadline for small voice service providers until June 30, 2023. The FCC’s Order defined “small voice service provider” as a provider that has 100,000 or fewer voice service subscriber lines (counting the total of all business and residential fixed subscriber lines and mobile phones and aggregated over all of the provider’s affiliates).

STIR/SHAKEN enables voice service providers to verify that the caller ID information transmitted with a call matches the caller’s phone number (see our April 2, 2020, e-Lert for more about the STIR/SHAKEN requirements).

During the extension, small providers will be required to implement a robocall mitigation program to combat the origination of illegal robocalls during the course of the extension and certify that some or all of the calls that originate on its network are subject to a robocall mitigation program. Carrier certifications must:

• Identify of the type of extension received under the Order;
• State the specific reasonable steps the company has taken to avoid originating illegal robocall traffic as part of its robocall mitigation program; and
• Include a statement of the provider’s commitment to respond fully and in a timely manner to all traceback requests from the Commission, law enforcement, and the industry traceback consortium (USTelecom), and to cooperate with the entities in investigating and stopping any illegal robocallers that use its service to originate calls.

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau will release a Public Notice regarding the Robocall Mitigation Database and portal creation and establish a deadline for the certification filings.

Bridget Alexander White will discuss this latest Order’s allowances and requirements and how JSI can assist clients with compliance during an October 30th webinar “Numbering & Porting: Where Are We?!” Details and registration for that webinar will be sent soon. If you have questions about this STIR/SHAKEN extension, please contact one of our experts by clicking the button below.