Stir/Shaken FNPRM Likely to Get 4-0 FCC OK

A Further NPRM proposing to tighten secure telephone identity revisited and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens rules is expected to be approved 4-0 by commissioners Thursday. Commissioner aides got little public feedback after the Stir/Shaken item circulated. The consensus is smaller providers likely pose a robocall problem and the FCC should investigate, agency officials said. A few changes, none major, are expected.

Some small providers are “benefitting from the extension,” said Keller and Heckman’s Casey Lide. “They’re wrestling with contract modifications that call on them to potentially take on some duties that might be problematic in terms of sharing information about their customers.” Others with similar clients said smaller companies are likely to comment on the FNPRM.

Commissioners approved the current deadlines 5-0 in March 2020 (see 2003310067). “I only wish we had done so sooner,” acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said then. A spokesperson didn't comment Tuesday.

The FNPRM addresses the problem of voice service providers with fewer than 100,000 subscriber lines and that allegedly originate a growing number of illegal robocalls. It proposes to move up the Stir/Shaken implementation deadline for a subset of those carriers a year to June 30, 2022.

The draft proposes to seek comment on how to define and identify the providers that would face the earlier deadline and whether the agency should adopt other measures, including data submission, to make oversight easier and ensure those small providers meet the new deadline. The draft cites a report that “[a]lmost 95% of high risk calls originate from non-Tier-1” providers.

The FNPRM is based on a USTelecom proposal, which highlights the challenge, said Vice President-Policy and Advocacy Josh Bercu. USTelecom plans to support the changes, he told us. “Working closely with other associations, we want to make sure that truly small providers get the time they need to deploy Stir/Shaken while also ensuring that providers serving high-volume robocallers still deploy Stir/Shaken in a timely manner, even if they would have otherwise qualified under the extension.”

NTCA expects to comment on the FNPRM, said Senior Vice President-Industry Affairs and Business Development Michael Romano. “We do anticipate providing thoughts on the scope of a proposal to change the time frame of the extension provided for SHAKEN/STIR compliance by certain smaller providers, particularly to ensure that any changes do not overreach and inadvertently sweep in innocent smaller operators.”