The Federal Communications Commission is hoping to solve one of the thorniest problems in the fight against robocalls: how to verify caller ID on older landlines that don’t use Internet Protocol (IP) technology.

The FCC already requires phone companies to implement STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication tech on the IP portions of their voice networks. But due to technology limitations, STIR/SHAKEN requirements haven’t applied to the older TDM-based networks generally used with copper landlines.

The FCC is now investigating how best to tackle this problem in a draft Notice of Inquiry released last week by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC is scheduled to vote on issuing the Notice of Inquiry at its October 27 meeting.

The FCC said it already sought comment on caller ID authentication for non-IP networks earlier this year, asking among other things, “whether we should require all providers to adopt a non-IP caller ID authentication solution.” The responses “reflected interest in this subject from a broad array of stakeholders with divergent views on the best path forward.”

The new Notice of Inquiry will “seek more focused comment on caller ID authentication technology for non-IP networks and how best to address this remaining gap in our caller ID authentication scheme.” 

Phone companies don’t want new rules

Among other things, the FCC will seek comment on what legal authority it can use to implement rules for non-IP caller ID authentication.

Phone companies don’t want new requirements for older landlines, arguing that the industry is upgrading to IP anyway. Lobby group USTelecom “argues that requiring implementation of a non-IP authentication solution would be resource-intensive and ‘detract from other, more fruitful efforts’—namely, ubiquitous IP network technology that in turn would enable end-to-end STIR/SHAKEN implementation,” the FCC said.

Any attempt by Rosenworcel to issue strict rules for non-IP networks would require Republican support as long as the FCC continues to lack a Democratic majority.

Currently, FCC rules “require providers using older forms of network technology to either upgrade their networks to IP or actively work to develop a caller ID authentication solution that is operational on non-IP networks.” The Notice of Inquiry will “seek comment on two standards for caller ID authentication on non-IP networks developed by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS).”

“Do these standards adequately address non-IP technology throughout the entire call path; in other words, do they resolve issues around non-IP voice service providers, non-IP intermediate providers, and non-IP interconnection?” the Notice of Inquiry asks.

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