FCC approves second order on SHAKEN

The FCC announced on September 29, 2020 that they have adopted new rules to promote implementation of STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication. Here’s what we know so far.

The FCC second report and order was issued in draft form on September 9, 2020. It built on and modified the rules approved in the first report and order issued on March 31, 2020.

The second order covered the following topics:

1. TRACED Act definitions and scope
2. Caller ID authentication in non-IP networks
3. Extension of implementation deadlines — note that taking an exemption requires a robocall mitigation program be implemented
   • Small providers, 2 years
   • Providers that can’t get a certificate, until they can
   • Services to be discontinued, 1 year
   • Non-IP networks, until a solution is available
4. Voluntary STIR/SHAKEN exemption required by the TRACED Act
5. No line item charges allowed for STIR/SHAKEN, but providers can recover costs in other ways
6. Intermediate providers required to authenticate unsigned calls, but this requirement is waived if they register with the traceback consortium.

A few organizations met with FCC staff and filed ex parte statements to advocate changes in the second order. The Commission has not yet released the final approved version of the second order, so we don’t know whether any of these requested changes were implemented. Stay tuned.

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