Vol. 17, No. 22
June 7, 2021
INCOMPAS, CCA Oppose USTelecom's Reconsideration Request
of Call Blocking Notification Requirements
INCOMPAS and the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) jointly submitted opposition to the Petition for Reconsideration filed by USTelecom regarding an order that voice service providers notify callers when they or their third-party analytics partner block calls.

The groups urged the FCC to continue requiring use of SIP and ISUP codes and to press the industry to finalize implementation standards.
Bipartisan "Dig Once" Bill Reintroduced
Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), David McKinley (R-WV) and Antonio Delgado (D-NY) reintroduced a bill that would mandate broadband conduit that encloses fiber-optic cables be included as part of federally-funded construction projects. The bill also would create a task-force co-chaired by the Secretary of Transportation and chief of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to propose funding mechanisms for a nationwide dig-once policy.
Cortez Mastro Introduces Robocalls Bill
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced a bill to deter robocalls by increasing penalties on companies and individuals placing deceptive calls. Cortez Masto said the bill would:
  • Allow prison terms of up to one year for violating the TCPA
  • Allow prison terms of up to three years for aggravated violations of the TCPA
  • Double the maximum penalties for falsifying caller ID
Senators Urge Agency Collaboration for Broadband, Lifeline
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 19 other senators sent a letter to secretaries of the departments of Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development, and to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, urging them to share existing data to identify communities without high-speed internet access and improve broadband connectivity. They also asked them to collaborate with each other to better promote the Lifeline program.
SIP School Adds STIR/SHAKEN Training to SIP Certification Program
Robocalls are a scourge, sending billions of calls to those who do not want to receive them. The FCC has directed providers to implement techniques that will help to block these unwanted robocalls.

Did you know that every service provider that serves end users must certify they have implemented either a Robocall Mitigation Program or STIR/SHAKEN in their network? Certification must be submitted to the new FCC database by June 30, 2021. Will you be ready?

The SIP School has added STIR/SHAKEN training to its SSCA® SIP certification program in order to get people educated on the illegal robocalling problem, as well as the industry efforts to combat the problem. The STIR/SHAKEN training has been made an integral part of the SSCA® SIP certification program as STIR/SHAKEN depends on a SIP based network to be effective.

“There are a lot of resources for STIR/SHAKEN on the web but we wanted to bring it all together in one place for people to not only understand how it all works but what they need to focus on to get their calls verified," said Graham Francis of The SIP School. "Integrating this training into the SSCA® SIP program means students will also get to understand all the technologies behind STIR/SHAKEN thus making them even more proficient in this initiative."

To learn more, click here.