STIR/SHAKEN rolling out despite incumbent demands for delay

Canada’s telecommunications companies have begun implementing the STIR/SHAKEN technology in the CRTC’s effort to combat spoof and fraudulent calls which mask the identity of callers. On Tuesday the commission issued a press release in which it stated that effective immediately telecommunications service providers will verify caller ID information for internet protocol-based voice calls to “reduce the frequency and impact” of caller ID spoofing. “This new caller ID technology will empower Canadians to determine which calls are legitimate and worth answering, and which need to be treated with caution. As more providers upgrade their networks, STIR/SHAKEN will undoubtedly reduce spoofing and help Canadians regain peace of mind when answering phone calls,” CRTC chairperson Ian Scott, said in the release. According to the release, service providers are upgrading their IP networks in order to offer compatible phones to consumers. The commission also noted in its release that it is working with the telecommunications industry to develop a process to trace nuisance calls back to their points of origin. The announcement comes a few weeks after BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp., in an Oct. 28 filing to the commission, requested a delay of the anti-spoofing technology, arguing that the STIR/SHAKEN Condition does not have an exemption for 911 calls and emergency callbacks. The request was supported by the Network Working Group (NTWG), the Coalition pour le service 9-1-1 au Quebec and Shaw Communications Inc. who all expressed support for the incumbents’ demand in several November letters addressed to the CRTC. The CRTC issued a decision in June that requires telecom service providers to establish NG911. “Given the potential for misidentified or dropped 911 calls, we respectfully request that the commission defer the application of the STIR/SHAKEN Condition to all 911 calling from end-users to PSAPs as well as callbacks from PSAPs to end-users until standards are developed and finalized and adopted by the vendor community in both the telecommunications and emergency communications fields,” Bell, SaskTel and Telus wrote in the October application.

STIR/SHAKEN rolling out despite incumbent demands for delay

Brief | November 30, 2021

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STIR/SHAKEN rolling out despite incumbent demands for delay

Brief | November 30, 2021

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