Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re: 	Numbering Policies for Modern Communications, WC Docket No. 13-97, Telephone Number Requirements for IP-Enabled Service Providers, WC Docket No. 07-243, Implementation of the TRACED Act Section 6(a) – Knowledge of Customers by Entities with Access to Numbering Resources, WC Docket No. 20-67, Process Reform for Executive Branch Review of Certain FCC Applications and Petitions Involving Foreign Ownership, IB Docket No. 16-115, Second Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (September 21, 2023).	

At the Federal Communications Commission we are combing through our rules and looking for ways to cut off illegal robocalls so those behind them can no longer reach us with their junk schemes.  Today, we update our numbering policies to make it harder for these scam artists when they use Voice over Internet Protocol—or VoIP—services.  
	It was eight years ago that this agency decided to allow interconnected VoIP providers to obtain telephone numbers directly from our numbering administrator.  Before that, they could only get numbers by making a request through a traditional carrier.  In the intervening years, we have seen benefits from simplifying this system.  But now we are reaping some unintended consequences.  Too often the providers picking up these numbers en masse are the same folks using VoIP technology to facilitate robocalls.  So in the interest of curbing these bad actors, we are adopting new guardrails.  We are putting conditions on direct access to numbering resources to make sure we do not hand out numbers to perpetrators of illegal robocalls.  This will safeguard our numbering resources, make life harder for those who want to send us junk calls and a little easier for all of us who don’t like getting them.   
For their work on this proceeding, I’d like to thank the Robocall Response Team and staff, including Callie Coker, Ty Covey, Lynne Engledow, Trent Harkrader, Heather Hendrickson, Edward Krachmer, Jodie May, Albert Lewis, Terri Natoli, Margoux Newman, Jordan Reth, Zach Ross, Michelle Sclater, Mason Shefa, Christi Shewman, Gil Strobel, and Raphael Sznajder of the Wireline Competition Bureau; Loyaan Egal, Jessica Manuel, and Daniel Stepanicich of the Enforcement Bureau; John Evanoff, David Furth, and Debra Jordan of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; Cameron Duncan, Jennifer Saulhus, and Joel Taubenblatt of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau; Jerusha Burnett and Alejandro Roark of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; Denise Coca, Francis Gutierrez, Gabrielle Kim, David Krech, Arthur Lechtman, Ethan Lucarelli, and Thomas Sullivan of the Office of International Affairs; Guilia McHenry, Mark Montano, Eugene Kiselev, Eric Ralph, Stacy Jordan, and Pramesh Jobanputra of the Office of Economics and Analytics; Terry Cavanaugh, Michele Ellison, Richard Mallen, Anjali Singh, Royce Sherlock, and Chin Yoo of the Office of General Counsel; and Joycelyn James, Joy Ragsdale, and Chana Wilkerson of the Office of Communications Business Opportunities.



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