Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER GEOFFREY STARKS
Re:	Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, CG Docket No. 17-59; Call Authentication Trust Anchor, WC Docket No. 17-97; Seventh Report and Order in CG Docket CG 17-59 and WC Docket 17-97, Eighth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket 17-59, and Third Notice of Inquiry in CG Docket 17-59 (May 18, 2023)
Unwanted and illegal calls continue to plague Americans, interrupting our days and nights and targeting our most vulnerable populations.  This persistent issue can’t be overcome with a single effort.  That’s why the Commission’s work to combat robocalls can be defined as steady and multi-pronged.  To be sure, today, we adopt our seventh order, eighth FNPRM, and third NOI in five years.  Each builds on the last, as we take our learnings and apply them going forward.  And we’ve focused our actions on illegal callers, and the bad actor providers that shield them; on addressing unlawful spoofing through STIR/SHAKEN, and requiring those providers who cannot fully implement it to develop alternate mitigation programs.  Today’s item strengthens both of these features: it builds on our prior rules, and it attacks the robocall problem from all sides.  
A year ago, we imposed a robust set of requirements on gateway providers, to stop robocalls from reaching our domestic networks.  Just last week, pursuant to those rules, the Enforcement Bureau ordered providers to block and cease accepting traffic from international gateway provider One Eye. In the Matter of One Eye LLC, Final Determination Order, EB-TCD-20-00031678, EB Docket No. 22-174 (May 11, 2023), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-23-389A1.pdf. 
  Today, we extend many of these gateway provider requirements to all voice service providers.  We will require all voice service providers to fully respond within 24 hours to traceback requests from the broad governmental and industry effort combatting robocalls – the Commission, civil and criminal law enforcement, and the Industry Traceback Group.  We also extend our mandatory call blocking requirements, bringing all traffic that transits the U.S. network under our call blocking rules, as recommended by 51 state attorneys general.  With all traffic subject to our blocking rules, bad actors should no longer be able to hide within the call path.     
	In addition to imposing new requirements today, we also seek comment on proposed further requirements, continuing to build off our prior experience.  Earlier this year, in our March order on caller ID authentication, we set a hefty per-call max forfeiture for failure to block.  In today’s item, we propose a complementary approach – a new base forfeiture for any voice service provider that fails to take affirmative, effective measures to prevent its customers from using its network to originate illegal calls.  All providers must know their customers and do their diligence.  Backing up these requirements with real, bottom-line fines is a strong, proven incentive.
Thank you to the Chairwoman for her leadership on this difficult issue, and to the Commission staff for their good and hard work on this item.  I’m glad to support it.  


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