According to the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, also known as the TRACED Act, all voice service providers operating in the US must implement a series of standards no later than June 30, 2021.

Collectively, the standards set forth by the TRACED Act are known as STIR-SHAKEN.

However, implementing these standards aren’t simple or easy. We’re here to help make the process easier for you, so you can focus on the tasks that move your business forward.

Here is a best practices checklist to follow as your telecoms company implements FCC STIR-SHAKEN standards.

1. Gather more information on the subscribers using telecoms services

The TRACED Act and STIR-SHAKEN, in part, aims to confirm whether or not the parties who have purchased voice call services are the same ones who use it.

As part of STIR-SHAKEN implementation, telecoms companies should gather more information on their subscribers, as well as the relationship they have with the people actually using these services. If the customer and the end user of a subscription are different, telecom companies must collect more information on the end users. This is the logical first step to prevent any spoofing efforts by unscrupulous individuals.

2. Validate the phone numbers used by subscribers

Telecoms companies will also want to check with their subscribers to make sure that they have the right to use the phone numbers listed in their Caller ID.

In situations where the subscriber and the end user of a service are different, service providers can use a variety of options to validate these phone numbers, including letters of authorization and delegate certificates.

3. Communicate with their subscribers with transparency

Service providers should update their subscribers on their progress of STIR-SHAKEN implementation. You may also want to provide them with details on how to make sure that their calls continue to go through successfully, both during the implementation process and afterward.

4. Plan for continued robocall mitigation

Spammers are flexible and relentless — in these aspects, your company should mirror them.

Changes in technology and the tendencies of fraudsters mean that, at some point in the future, your current practices may become futile. However, don’t let that dishearten you. Your company should continue to look for ways to maintain call security for your customers, and find new methods of mitigating and reducing robocalls.

Reach out to Prescott-Martini, LLC to learn more

FCC STIR-SHAKEN guidelines can be tough for telecoms service providers to manage on their own; if you find your company falls into this category, consider working with a firm that specializes in this area to ensure your compliance.

Prescott-Martini, LLC is a telecoms company that offers patent-pending call authentication solutions to companies affected by the TRACED Act and STIR-SHAKEN. We provide digital tokens and certificates used in the data-stream of a company’s telephone calls to confirm that the call is legitimate and not affected by spoofing.

As telecoms companies work to implement these guidelines before the 2021 deadline, consider partnering with us to make the transition easier for you and your team. Learn more about how we can help your company implement call authentication tokens by sending us a message on our website.