Notice2021-22577
Exemption From Caller ID Authentication Requirements
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 18, 2021
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) provides directions and filing instructions for the implementation verification certifications that voice service providers granted an exemption from the Commission's caller ID authentication rule must file.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 198 (Monday, October 18, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 198 (Monday, October 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57670-57671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22577]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[WC Docket No. 20-68; DA 21-1103; FR ID 50348]
Exemption From Caller ID Authentication Requirements
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau)
provides directions and filing instructions for the implementation
verification certifications that voice service providers granted an
exemption from the Commission's caller ID authentication rule must
file.
DATES: All certifications and associated supporting statements must be
filed no later than October 4, 2021.
ADDRESSES: All certifications and associated supporting statements must
be filed electronically in WC Docket No. 20-68, Exemption from Caller
ID Authentication Requirements, in the Commission's Electronic Comment
Filing System (ECFS), available at <a href="http://www.fcc.gov/ecfs">http://www.fcc.gov/ecfs</a>.
Filers may request that any materials or information submitted to
the Commission in their certifications be withheld from public
inspection pursuant to the procedures set forth in section 0.459 of the
Commission's rules. However, effective March 19, 2020, and until
further notice, the Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger
delivered filings. This is a temporary measure taken to help protect
the health and safety of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission
of COVID-19. See FCC Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window
and Change in Hand-Delivery Policy, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 2788
(March 19, 2020), <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy">https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please
contact Alexander Hobbs, Competition Policy Division, Wireline
Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7433 or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#054469607d646b6160772b4d6a676776456366662b626a73"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f8b9949d8099969c9d8ad6b0979a9a8bb89e9b9bd69f978e">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document is a summary of the Bureau's
Public Notice providing directions and filing instructions for the
implementation verification certifications that voice service providers
granted an exemption from the caller ID authentication rule must file,
in WC Docket No. 20-68, DA 21-1103, released on September 3, 2021. The
full text of this document is available for public inspection at the
following internet address: <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1103A1.pdf">https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1103A1.pdf</a>. To request materials in accessible formats for people
with disabilities (e.g., braille, large print, electronic files, audio
format, etc.), send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#375154540207037751545419505841"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87e1e4e4b2b7b3c7e1e4e4a9e0e8f1">[email protected]</span></a> or call the Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), or (202) 418-
0432 (TTY).
Synopsis
When Congress directed the Commission to mandate the implementation
of STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication by June 30, 2021, in the TRACED
Act, it also required the Commission to grant exemptions from that
mandate for voice service providers that could demonstrate early
implementation progress by December 30, 2021. The Commission found that
the TRACED Act created two exemptions: One for IP networks and one for
non-IP networks. Under the Commission's application of the TRACED Act,
to receive the IP network exemption, a voice service provider was
required to (i) have undertaken the network preparations necessary to
deploy the STIR/SHAKEN protocols on its network; (ii) have completed
formal registration (including payment) and testing with the Policy
Administrator; (iii) have completed the necessary network upgrades to
at least one network element to enable the authentication and
verification of caller ID information consistent with the STIR/SHAKEN
standards; and (iv) asserted that it reasonably foresaw that it would
have completed all necessary network upgrades to its network
infrastructure to be able to authenticate and verify caller ID
information for all SIP calls exchanged with STIR/SHAKEN-enabled
partners by June 30, 2021.
The Commission implemented this TRACED Act requirement via a
certification process and delegated authority to the Wireline
Competition Bureau (Bureau) to make exemption determinations. Voice
service providers seeking to qualify for the exemption were obligated
to submit a certification and supporting statement by December 1, 2020,
explaining in detail how they met each prong of the exemption sought.
Because the fourth prong of the IP exemption was based on a voice
service provider's prediction of its future ability to implement STIR/
SHAKEN, the Commission foreclosed the possibility for abuse of this
statutory provision and required any voice service provider granted an
exemption to verify in a second certification, after June 30, 2021,
that it achieved the implementation goals to which it first certified.
Seven voice service providers sought exemptions for their IP
networks. In December 2020, the Bureau found that all seven voice
service providers--AT&T Service Inc. (AT&T), Bandwidth Inc.
(Bandwidth), Charter Communications, Inc. (Charter), Comcast Cable
Communications, LLC (Comcast, Cox Communications, Inc. (Cox), Cellco
Partnership, d/b/a Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless), and Vonage
Holding Corp. (Vonage)--qualified for
[[Page 57671]]
the exemption on the basis that each certified and offered sufficient
support to demonstrate satisfaction of all the criteria for an IP
network exemption. These voice service providers were ``therefore
exempt from the requirements of section 64.6301 of [the Commission's]
rules.'' They were nonetheless obligated to file in the Robocall
Mitigation Database as required by section 64.6305 of the Commission's
rules and certify to their STIR/SHAKEN implementation status and, as
appropriate, robocall mitigation efforts.
Implementation Verification Certification Requirements. In order to
maintain the exemption from section 64.6301 of the Commission's rules,
each voice service provider granted an exemption must now ``verify they
completed full implementation in accordance with their commitments.''
An officer of the voice service provider is required to sign the
certification stating under penalty of perjury that the officer has
personal knowledge that the company did in fact complete all necessary
network upgrades to its network infrastructure by June 30, 2021. Each
voice service provider granted an exemption is required to submit an
accompanying statement explaining, in detail, how the company achieved
the implementation goals it first certified to so that the Commission
can verify the accuracy of the certification. Any voice service
provider that cannot certify to full implementation will lose the
exemption and be subject to the general rule requiring full STIR/SHAKEN
implementation, effective immediately upon release of the Public Notice
identifying which voice service providers achieved the implementation
goals to which they previously committed.
Federal Communications Commission.
Pamela Arluk,
Chief, Competition Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-22577 Filed 10-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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