STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR

Re:	Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, CG Docket No. 17-59.

When I walk down the street in my neighborhood, there are two issues that cause my neighbors to throw open their windows and “lobby” me from their houses (although yelling at me is probably a more accurate description).  The first is robocalls.  The second is loud television commercials.  With today’s decision, I can tell Mr. Henry that we’re making additional progress on one of them.

And that progress is part of a broader effort at the Commission.  Starting last year, the FCC elevated robocalls to our top enforcement priority, and we have imposed major fines on parties engaged in large-scale spoofing operations.  We adopted new rules that allow phone companies to block fraudulent calls.  We took steps toward adopting a call authentication framework to help ensure the validity of caller ID information.  Just a few weeks ago, in fact, Chairman Pai called on providers to adopt this authentication framework as soon as possible.  And with the steps we take today, we adopt a better approach to dealing with reassigned numbers.  This issue arises when a consumer gives a business permission to call them, but their telephone number is subsequently reassigned to another consumer.

In fact, I had a version of that happen to me when I started at the FCC a few years back.  The mobile phone our IT team gave me had recently been turned in by another employee.  So I got a lot of calls meant for her.  I don’t want to call that person out, but I will say, Jennifer Manner, if you’re still missing phone calls, I am happy to give you an update next time you stop by the Commission. 

Today, we address the broader issue by creating a single database that lets businesses determine whether a number has been reassigned.  And to ensure that businesses have the incentive to use the database, I asked my colleagues to include a safe harbor provision in today’s decision.  I want to thank them for supporting this addition.  In the end, this decision will help cut down on the number of unwanted calls that all of us—my neighbors included—receive.  And so it has my support.  

I want to thank the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau for your work on the item.