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The war on robocalls is turning into a battle over technology, as USTelecom – The Broadband Association has raised red flags about the Federal Communications Commission’s latest proposal to mandate specific caller ID authentication methods. In a pointed filing Wednesday, the telecom industry group argued that the FCC's current plan may do more harm than good—potentially creating new security gaps ripe for exploitation by fraudsters.

Rather than enforcing rigid technical standards on aging telephone infrastructure, the group is advocating for a market-driven transition to Internet Protocol (IP) networks, a move it says would not only improve robocall defenses but also foster innovation and consumer protection.

Legacy Tech vs. Modern Solutions: The Battle for Caller ID Integrity

At the heart of the controversy lies the FCC’s proposal to retrofit old Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) phone systems with new authentication technology to preserve caller ID data as calls route through the legacy networks.

But according to USTelecom—which counts AT&T and Verizon among its members—this fix is technically flawed and dangerously vulnerable.

"These stopgap upgrades to outdated landline switches could expose sensitive authentication credentials to interception," the group warned. Once separated from the call itself, the credentials could be intercepted, manipulated, and weaponized by spoofers and robocallers. It’s like leaving the key under the doormat and announcing it on national radio.

A Dangerous Window for Criminals

USTelecom's filing draws attention to a paradoxical risk: the proposed fix may actually legitimize fraudulent calls by making them appear authenticated.

“An authentication regime that affords criminal fraudsters the opportunity to deliver authenticated fraudulent calls creates a new way to enhance trust in a fraud scheme,” the filing said. “Consumers would be less safe, not more.”

The group supports STIR/SHAKEN, a widely adopted digital protocol for caller ID verification, but insists that full effectiveness depends on modern IP-based networks. Older networks, they argue, are incompatible, and forcing upgrades amounts to throwing good money after bad—especially since some legacy systems are no longer supported by manufacturers.

TRACED Act: Interpreting the Law’s Limits

The 2019 TRACED Act requires telecom providers to implement caller ID authentication, but only where it’s deemed “reasonably available.” USTelecom asserts that mass retrofitting of analog switches isn’t just impractical and costly—it fails the reasonable availability test.

The organization emphasizes that the FCC’s three proposed standards—outlined in an April notice of proposed rulemaking—fall short of meeting the law’s requirements and risk derailing progress toward a more secure telecommunications future.