Recent reports indicate that in 2018 alone, almost 50 billion robocalls were made to U.S. phone numbers. Many of these calls were designed to trick people into answering by spoofing the number to one that mimics the consumer’s, and that has prompted action from the FCC, which will affect all telecom services. More specifically, you will have to partner with a STIR-SHAKEN provider to remain in compliance with the new government regulations. To facilitate the transition to the new STIR-SHAKEN policies, it’s helpful to consider the following factors.

Helpful Information to Know About STIR-SHAKEN Implementation

What are the deadlines for the FCC mandates?

When the FCC passed the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence) in early 2020, it put the responsibility on telecom companies to help end the scourge of spoofing and robocalls. However, they understood that finding a STIR-SHAKEN provider and implementing those solutions would take time, so they set a deadline for June 30, 2021. However, small providers are eligible to file an extension of the implementation deadline. The government defines a “small provider” as a company that has 100,000 or fewer subscriber lines. This includes the total of all business and residential fixed subscriber lines as well as mobile phones and aggregated over all of the provider’s affiliates. Those companies have until June 30, 2022, to implement a solution.

How does a STIR-SHAKEN provider help your clients?

Enacting these new processes may seem like a hassle for many telecom companies, but their end-users’ benefits will be significant. By partnering with the right STIR-SHAKEN provider, your company can improve relationships with all of your clients by eliminating the nuisance of receiving illegal scam robocalls. By properly authenticating all incoming calls, you’ll also help boost the industry’s reputation and restore trust in caller ID information. These new policies will also have a drastic financial impact on American citizens. The FCC estimates that robocall schemes cost Americans $10.5 billion annually, but STIR-SHAKEN technology will help deter these schemes and provide much-needed protection to end-users.

Are all STIR-SHAKEN providers the same?

Since these regulations and technologies are so new, not every STIR-SHAKEN provider offers the same benefits, so it’s crucial to find one that can best serve your needs and help you remain in compliance. For example, not all providers will tailor their approach to block and drop incoming robocalls and scammers. Instead, they will simply identify potential threats. To ensure you are receiving the best service possible, you need to find a partner who has a proven track record of adapting to new mandates and providing practical solutions. Prescott-Martini, LLC is part of a family of companies that bring more than 150 years of telecommunication technical experience to the table. We’ve always been on the cutting edge of telecom solutions, and we manage our own North American telecom database. Since we have up-to-date records on bad numbers, ANI verification, LERG, and more, we can send a call for termination when proper attestation isn’t met.

Is your company prepared to meet STIR-SHAKEN requirements?

If you haven’t taken steps to meet the new FCC mandates, contact the experts at Prescott-Martini, LLC. As one of the premier STIR-SHAKEN providers in the industry, we provide advanced, patented-pending technical solutions designed to ensure your company complies with the federal anti-robocalling and consumer privacy protection regulations at an affordable rate. Learn more about how we can help your business by visiting us online and sending us a message.