Federal Communications Commission DA 20-1154 DA 20-1154 Released: October 1, 2020 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU INVITES COMMENT ON CALLER ID AUTHENTICATION BEST PRACTICES WC Docket No. 20-324 Comments Due: October 16, 2020 Reply Comments Due: October 26, 2020 To facilitate issuance of best practices pursuant to the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on the North American Numbering Council (NANC) Report recommending best practices related to caller ID authentication. Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, S.151,116th Cong., at § 4(b)(7) (2019) (TRACED Act). The TRACED Act directs the Commission, by December 30, 2020, to issue “best practices that providers of voice service may use as part of the implementation of effective call authentication frameworks . . . to take steps to ensure the calling party is accurately identified.” Id. On February 27, 2020, the Bureau charged the Call Authentication Trust Anchor (CATA) Working Group of the NANC to recommend a set of best practices that would, in the NANC’s view, satisfy Congress’s direction if adopted by the Commission. Letter from Kris Anne Monteith, Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC, to Jennifer K. McKee, Chair, NANC (Feb. 27, 2020), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-362809A1.pdf. The CATA Working Group prepared a report recommending best practices in response to the Bureau’s charge, and the NANC voted to approve that report on September 24, 2020. Call Authentication Trust Anchor Working Grp., N. Am. Numbering Council, Best Practices for the Implementation of Call Authentication Frameworks (2020), http://nanc-chair.org/docs/CATAWGReport-August2020DRAFT.pdf. In its report, the NANC recommends seven best practices related to: (1) subscriber vetting; (2) telephone number validation; (3) A-level attestation; (4) B- and C-level attestation; (5) third-party validation services; (6) international call originators; and (7) ongoing robocall mitigation programs. The NANC elaborates on each of these best practices in their report. See id. The Bureau invites comment on the NANC’s recommendations. The Bureau also invites comment on any additional or alternative best practices commenters would recommend to achieve the TRACED Act’s goal of ensuring the calling party is accurately identified. Filing Requirements. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments on or before the dates indicated above. Comments may be filed by paper or by using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.fcc.gov/ecfs. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. § Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. § Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. § Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings. This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. See FCC Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window and Change in Hand-Delivery Policy, Public Notice, 20-304 (March 19, 2020), https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy. People with Disabilities. To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (tty). Ex Parte Rules. The proceeding is considered a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules. See 47 CFR §§ 1.1200(a) et seq. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in these proceedings should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. For further information, please contact CJ Ferraro, Attorney Advisor, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-1322 or by email at connor.ferraro@fcc.gov. - FCC - 2