FCC wants to cut robocalls from smaller operators

The Federal Communications Commission has long battled the issue of robocalling, requiring major voice service providers to help stop the problem and limiting the number of allowed telemarketing calls.

Yet the issue has continued as bad actors harass millions of Americans with unwanted calls, ranging from health-related scams to fake banks offering credit card interest rate discounts.

Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC’s acting chairwoman, will discuss a new proposal May 20 that would accelerate the date that certain small voice service providers must implement the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication technology by one year. Specifically, the proposal would target only those small voice providers originating a large quantity of robocalls.

The FCC previously gave all small providers with 100,000 or fewer subscriber lines until June 30, 2023, to implement STIR/SHAKEN — an extension that was seen as important as it would allow small operators more time to digest the high implementation costs and also, limited STIR/SHAKEN vendor offerings were available to those smaller operators at the time. But new evidence suggests that a subset of small voice service providers are originating “a large and increasing quantity of illegal robocalls,” according to FCC officials.

The proposal, if approved, would add to other efforts initiated by Rosenworcel as part of her anti-robocall agenda that kicked off in March. The FCC imposed a $225 million fine on Texas telemarketers for illegally spoofing roughly 1 billion robocalls, the agency delivered cease-and-desist letters to six voice providers that have consistently violated FCC guidelines on the use of autodialed and prerecorded voice message calls.

The Federal Communications Commission has long battled the issue of robocalling, requiring major voice service providers to help stop the problem and limiting the number of allowed telemarketing calls.

Yet the issue has continued as bad actors harass millions of Americans with unwanted calls, ranging from health-related scams to fake banks offering credit card interest rate discounts.

Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC’s acting chairwoman, will discuss a new proposal May 20 that would accelerate the date that certain small voice service providers must implement the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication technology by one year. Specifically, the proposal would target only those small voice providers originating a large quantity of robocalls.

The FCC previously gave all small providers with 100,000 or fewer subscriber lines until June 30, 2023, to implement STIR/SHAKEN — an extension that was seen as important as it would allow small operators more time to digest the high implementation costs and also, limited STIR/SHAKEN vendor offerings were available to those smaller operators at the time. But new evidence suggests that a subset of small voice service providers are originating “a large and increasing quantity of illegal robocalls,” according to FCC officials.

The proposal, if approved, would add to other efforts initiated by Rosenworcel as part of her anti-robocall agenda that kicked off in March. The FCC imposed a $225 million fine on Texas telemarketers for illegally spoofing roughly 1 billion robocalls, the agency delivered cease-and-desist letters to six voice providers that have consistently violated FCC guidelines on the use of autodialed and prerecorded voice message calls.