A Guide to STIR/SHAKEN + A2P 10DLC

A solution to unchecked phone spam and number spoofing is finally here.

The United States is implementing a new set of protocols and regulations designed to improve transparency and trust in phone and text communications.

These protocols, known as STIR/SHAKEN + A2P 10DLC, began going into effect June 30, 2021, requiring phone carriers to start making adjustments to how they authenticate numbers.   

PhoneBurner is proud to be a partner in this effort and excited for what it means for the calling industry and you - our customer. 

In this article we’ll cover:

1. Why these protocols were introduced
2. What it means for you
3. What you should do now

In short, this is very good news that is widely expected to reduce robocalls and Caller ID spoofing, improve consumer confidence and call answer rates, and increase the ROI of phone-based marketing.

Why are these protocols being introduced?

Consumer confidence in phone communications has cratered following an explosion of spam calls, robocalls, and unlawful Caller ID spoofing. Robocall mitigation software provider YouMail estimates that as much as 40% of calls are fraudulent.

Telephone fraud costs Americans over $10 billion annually.

To make matters worse, legitimate businesses engaged in legitimate communications have found it increasingly difficult to connect with consumers, and regularly see their numbers flagged as potential scam.

This new framework and legislation, mandated by the FCC, finally gives phone companies and carriers the digital validation needed to assure calls are originating from a trusted source.

What does it mean for you?

The technology-based ecosystem created by STIR/SHAKEN (calls) and A2P 10DLC (text messages) is designed to block spammers and scammers, while giving you a way to authenticate your business identity, so consumers trust the phone and SMS communications they receive from you.

The acronyms stand for:

• Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs (SHAKEN) standards
• Application-to-Person (A2P) type messaging via local 10-digit long code (10DLC)

The attestation provided by this ecosystem is heavily weighted by analytics companies and phone carriers. Businesses with verified numbers can earn a trust indicator such as a check mark or “Caller Verified” badge which can increase call answer rates.

Those engaging in Caller ID spoofing are blocked from such authentication. Moreover, with near-instant traceback to regulatory agencies, abusers face accountability as well.

What should you do now?

First of all, don’t panic.

PhoneBurner simplifies your compliance and even without taking any additional actions, all your numbers will receive B level attestation when used through PhoneBurner. (See more about attestation below)

Additionally, the June 30th deadline is specifically for carriers to begin adopting the framework and assigning attestation levels to calls. It is not a fixed date by which businesses must verify all of their numbers, or calls will suddenly be blocked or flagged. 

It is largely believed that for the short to medium term, not much will change for businesses dialing with some level of attestation - which will be the case for 100% of calls placed with PhoneBurner. However, long-term, the highest level of attestation is expected to deliver significant benefits.

There are 3 levels of attestation that can be applied to a call:

Full or “A” Attestation:
The service provider knows the customer and their right to use the phone number.

Partial or “B” Attestation:
The service provider knows the customer but not the source of the phone number.

Gateway or “C” Attestation:
The service provider has originated the call onto the network but can’t authenticate the call source e.g., international gateway.

Simply by dialing with PhoneBurner, your calls will be signed with “B” level, or partial attestation. No additional action is needed on your part to obtain this level of attestation. You can continue to use your existing Caller IDs and, again, expect the same or similar results you experience today.

However, “A” level attestation is most likely to increase long-term answer rates and minimize the occurrence of spam flags. It is also likely a requirement to earn a “verified” or similar trust indicator.

Calls using a number purchased through PhoneBurner will be signed with full or “A” level attestation.

To obtain this validation on your PhoneBurner owned numbers, you will need to complete a Business Verification Form in your account.

The Business Verification Form, which can be completed in minutes, includes fields such as business name, registration/EIN number, physical address, industry, website, authorized contact person, and other information. 

Our team is here to support you and answer any questions you have. Please email compliance@phoneburner.com.