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Comments Due In FCC’s Attempt To Combat Illegal Robocalls At Every Point In Call Path
As reported previously, the FCC in the notice, requests comments among other things on the following:
- Improved caller identity information;
- Ability to identify calls originating from outside of the United States;
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act Rules and Do-Not-Call Implementation Act Rules, including whether to eliminate rules that prohibit callers from disconnecting an unanswered telemarketing call before at least 15 seconds or four rings and from abandoning more than three percent of all telemarketing calls;
- Ways to modify requirement that a caller must treat one opt-out request as a request to opt out of all calls or should customers have flexibility on trying to stop unwanted calls;
- Call Blocking Rules;
- Proposals that may create new information collection, reporting, recordkeeping, or compliance requirements for small entities, and discussion of significant alternatives considered that would minimize economic impact on small entities.
Comments are due January 5, 2026, and reply comments are due February 3, 2026.
As reported previously, on October 28, 2025 the FCC announces in a press release that the “Federal Communications Commission today took the first step in a new campaign to tackle illegal robocalls at every point in the call path. This proceeding explores proposals that would mitigate illegal calls at the point of origination and at the final point on the call path—delivery to the consumer.”
The FCC in its notice stated that “we propose to require that providers give consumers accurate caller name and other information that enables them to regain control of their phones by ensuring they no longer have to guess whether a call is one they want to pick up. Specifically, we propose to require terminating voice service providers to transmit verified caller name for presentation on consumers’ handsets whenever they transmit call authentication information indicating that the originating number is unlikely to be spoofed. We further propose ways for originating voice service providers to verify that the caller name and other information about the caller that they transmit is accurate and secure so that consumers can trust it. Because many unlawful robocalls originate from outside the United States, we also propose to ensure that consumers know which calls originate from a foreign country and to improve call blocking analytics by considering whether a call originated from outside of the United States.”
“As we move toward modernizing our anti-robocall protections, we also propose to simplify, streamline, or eliminate some of our possibly outdated requirements that technology and calling practices have overtaken. And we provide notice of our intent to dismiss some older petitions for reconsideration and applications for review related to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).”
CG Docket No. 17-59 – Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls
WC Docket No. 17-97 – Call Authentication Trust Anchor
CG Docket No. 02-278 – Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991
CG Docket No. 25-307 – Dismissal of Outdated or Otherwise Moot Robocalls Petitions
