STIR/SHAKEN and the Threat of Illegal Robocalling is a Hot Topic; Aureon is Here to Help You Stir Up the Right Solution

By Jessica Schlesselman - Product Manager

Since 2019, Congress’s Traced Act and the FCC’s subsequent orders have been trying to tackle unlawful robocalls, a top consumer complaint, for more than a decade. You’ve probably heard of STIR/SHAKEN, the SIP-based call identity attestation framework mandated by the Traced Act. But what is SHAKEN, and what do carriers with TDM and TDM/SIP hybrid networks need to do to be Traced Act compliant?

STIR stands for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited. SHAKEN is an acronym for Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs. As of June 30, 2023, carriers must implement SHAKEN on the SIP portions of their networks. Carriers deploying SHAKEN must register with the SHAKEN Policy Administrator, iConectiv, and receive a SHAKEN Service Provider Code (SPC). This SPC enables the carrier to secure a SHAKEN vendor and grants the carrier access to the SHAKEN trust network.

SHAKEN relies on SIP-based identity tokens attached to a call at the point of origination. That token is then delivered with the call to the terminating user with a header displaying the calling number’s attestation or trust level. SHAKEN ensures that called parties can identify and avoid calls delivered with poor attestation, indicating that the call has originated from a less trustworthy party. Additionally, it ensures that originating carriers can attest to the validity of calling numbers from their exchange. This trust-based framework will improve call completion rates for valid calls and reduce the incidence of unlawful robocalls being answered by the called party.

For in-band deployment, SHAKEN requires end-to-end SIP connectivity. If any portion of the call path is TDM, the information contained in the SIP header will be dropped, and the call will be delivered to the terminating user with no attestation. Therefore, the SHAKEN mandate now only applies to carriers with SIP-based facilities able to transmit calls to the edge of or within their network.

Many carriers maintain TDM facilities to support connections to other carriers and their tandem provider. While TDM networks are exempt from the STIR/SHAKEN mandate, the carriers still need an effective and documented robocall mitigation plan within the FCC’s robocall mitigation database (RMD). For many carriers, the plan often includes a service such as Caller ID Authentication, which uses analytics and other tools to determine the likelihood that a calling number generates a robocall and blocks the call accordingly.

If your company maintains SIP connectivity to another carrier or switch, that portion of your network is likely subject to the June 30, 2023, mandate for SHAKEN implementation.

Most of Aureon’s subtending ITCs will continue under the TDM exemption until they migrate to SIP connectivity to the Aureon tandem.

No matter where your company is in its SIP transition, Aureon is ready to help. See our Product Spotlight for more information on solutions provided by Aureon to combat illegal robocalls.

See also: https://authenticate.iconectiv.com https://www.fcc.gov/robocall-mitigation-database