Top ten articles from 2021

1. Telephone service providers targeted by denial-of-service attacks

Several voice service providers were targeted by distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks are a serious risk, and the threat is growing.

2. Who should sign SHAKEN calls?

It seems a simple question. But when you combine complex calling scenarios with current FCC rules, the answers aren’t so easy.

3. Are SHAKEN and robocall mitigation preventing unlawful robocalls?

STIR/SHAKEN call authentication and/or robocall mitigation programs were mandated to be used starting June 30, 2021. So robocalls plummeted in July 2021, yes? Well, not exactly.

4. Will call blocking notification happen on January 1?

The FCC requires Terminating Service Providers (TSPs) to provide callers with immediate notification of call blocking starting January 1, 2022. The Commission received many requests to delay this rule. Some providers say they will stop blocking illegal robocalls if the rule goes into effect. What’s happening here?

5. July 2021 STIR/SHAKEN statistics

This article provided a deep dive into SHAKEN stats in the first month of the mandate. An interesting data point on robocalls emerged.

6. FCC changes immediate call blocking notification order

This article answered the question from the fourth-place article, Will call blocking happen? The FCC changed the rules that require immediate notification of call blocking starting January 1, 2022. There’s a lot going on here, and this article provided a quick overview of the essential facts.

7. STIR/SHAKEN statistics for September 2021

The SHAKEN and robocall trends first noted in the July report evolved as call authentication and robocall mitigation settled in.

8. The ongoing debate over call blocking notification rules

This article summarized arguments that 14 advocates were making for and against the FCC’s call blocking notification rule.

9. Telecom fraud losses increasing, according to CFCA report

The Communications Fraud Control Association released its biennial report describing the latest trends in telecommunications fraud, and this article highlighted the top themes.

10. The legal landscape emerging from the TRACED Act

FCC rules aren’t the only compliance-related problem to solve. Actually, the biggest risk faced by a voice service provider is likely to come from state attorneys general and civil litigation. This article was an eye-opener, and it generated a lot of buzz.