CUNA urges FCC to require purpose-built call blocking notification methods

CUNA and other organizations urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Tuesday to retain purpose-built notification methods as it has ordered, or if it permits an alternative method, to sunset that permission in the future. The letter follows several meetings between CUNA, the organizations, and the FCC, with additional meetings scheduled in the coming days.

Voice service providers must notify callers of a blocked call using SIP Codes 607 and 608 (communications signaling protocol) notifications beginning Jan. 1, 2022. However, the Voice Service Providers claim these SIP Codes are not yet ready for implementation, and, USTelecom, in a Petition filed with the Commission, has asked the FCC to delay the deadline or allow flexibility regarding the form of notification.

“During the meetings, the Associations respectfully urged the Commission to retain the specific notification mechanisms required by the Fourth Report and Order and listed above, and not replace those requirements with a requirement to use SIP Code 603 to signal network-level blocked calls,” the letter reads.

“SIP Code 603 signals that the recipient declined the call, not that the call was subject to blocking, which is the intended purpose of SIP Codes 607 and 608,” it adds.

The organizations urge the FCC to require voice service providers implement the SIP Codes 607 and 608 by a certain date, if the commission permits the temporary use of SIP Code 603 in the interim to satisfy the immediate notification requirement.

This letter follows up previous letters on the Petition by USTelecom, most recently in October.