FCC Rulemaking Targets The Non-IP Caller ID Authentication Gap

In a move designed to close a gap in its robocall mitigation efforts, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) at its April 29 Open Meeting that seeks comment on proposals to require call authentication on non-Internet Protocol (IP) networks. The NPRM proposes to repeal the caller ID authentication exemption for non-IP networks and to modify the FCC's rule interpreting the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act's "reasonable measures" requirement by interpreting that to mean that providers must "either upgrade their networks to IP or implement non-IP caller ID authentication frameworks." Comments and reply comments will be due 30 and 60 days after Federal Register publication, respectively.