Comcast Plans Shaken/Stir Call Authentication Trials This Year, Implementation in 2019

Comcast told the FCC it plans to adopt Shaken/Stir call authentication standards aimed at combating spoofed robocalling, starting with trials this year and scaling to "fuller implementation during 2019." It discussed its plans, along with "call display, traceback and network-based options for robocall mitigation" with Chief Technology Officer Eric Burger and other staffers, said a filing Friday in docket 17-59. The company "exchanges a significant majority of its traffic over IP-based interconnections" and said "broader adoption of IP interconnection will enhance the use and effectiveness" of Secure Handling of Asserted Information using toKENs/Secure Telephony Identity Revisited. AT&T last week offered a similar timeline, while Sprint backed the standards but noted hurdles (see 1805170018). FCC Chairman Ajit Pai May 14 accepted the VoIP-oriented call authentication recommendations of the North American Numbering Council for creating a Shaken/Stir framework within a year and encouraging carrier implementation (see 1805140028).