Voice service providers back CUNA position on call blocking codes

A coalition of voice service providers filed an ex parte letter with the Federal Communications Commission Friday expressing direct support of CUNA’s recently filed letter on call blocking notification codes. CUNA supports adoption of SIP Code (signaling protocol) 608 to provide notification to callers that a voice service provider has blocked their call using analytics.

The FCC permits a SIP Code 603 to be used to temporarily, but currently, its use does not differentiate between calls declined and calls blocked, which CUNA is concerned with.

The voice service providers concurred with CUNA’s position that SIP Code 603+—an enhanced version that would indicate a call has been blocked by a voice service provider—can be used in the interim if it meets certain criteria. CUNA and the providers continue to encourage development of SIP Code 608.

“We concur with the Associations that any 603+ standard must include a number of critical features and functions to meet the Commission’s requirements for immediate call blocking notification when a provider has used analytics to block a caller’s call,” the providers note, and add reference to CUNA’s previous letter.