Get ready for the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication mandate
You may have heard the news that the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act has been signed into law. You might have questions about it.
We have collected frequently asked questions and listed them here, along with answers, to help you stay informed and be prepared.
Does the STIR/SHAKEN mandate apply to my company?
If your company provides voice service in the U.S., then yes, it does.
The Pallone-Thune TRACED Act was signed into law on December 30, 2019. Here’s the mandate:
“The Commission shall —
- require a provider of voice service to implement the STIR/SHAKEN authentication framework in the internet protocol networks of the provider of voice service; and
- require a provider of voice service to take reasonable measures to implement an effective call authentication framework in the non-internet protocol networks of the provider of voice service.”
When’s the deadline?
It has two parts:
- Voluntary compliance within 12 months after enactment, or else
- An explicit mandate for compliance within 18 months after enactment.
My company doesn’t have SIP interconnects with other providers, and we can’t get them either. Does this excuse us from the mandate?
No, it doesn’t. Part B of the mandate listed above requires voice service providers to implement an effective call authentication framework in non-internet protocol networks too. That includes providers who route calls over TDM networks.
I thought STIR/SHAKEN only works over SIP and doesn’t work over TDM. How can we authenticate calls routed over TDM networks?
Out-of-band SHAKEN provides a way to send the SHAKEN Identity token separately, across the internet, to the terminating provider. Everything else works the same as typical STIR/SHAKEN.
With out-of-band SHAKEN, it doesn’t matter how calls are routed. You might need to install a SIP gateway device, but otherwise, there’s no need to change your telecom network unless you want to.
We have added out-of-band SHAKEN to our software as another option for service providers who need it. Our customers have been using it to authenticate caller ID for months.
Other than complying with this mandate, are there any other benefits to STIR/SHAKEN?
Here are the main benefits of STIR/SHAKEN:
- Authenticates caller ID to instill trust that it wasn’t spoofed
- Helps with traceback
- Makes robocall prevention call analytics more effective
- Less churn. You won’t lose subscribers to competitors who offer effective robocall prevention.
- Supports Rich Call Data, which lets you put more information about the caller in the SHAKEN Identity token
- Makes consumers more comfortable answering calls
- Helps enterprise callers improve call completion—this will be extremely valuable to them.
Where can I find more information?
Here are three ways you can learn more about STIR/SHAKEN and call authentication:
- For more information about call authentication benefits, see an article we published in Pipeline magazine, Restoring Telecom Trust. It describes STIR/SHAKEN, call analytics, and Rich Call Data in more detail and explains how they work well together.
- Watch our webinar, Get Ready for the STIR/SHAKEN Call Authentication Mandate. This presentation includes testimonials from voice service providers who are using STIR/SHAKEN in their production networks today.
- Contact us today to learn how we can help you deploy STIR/SHAKEN in your network quickly and easily.
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