The industry-run Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority (STI-GA) is a critical body helping the industry mitigate the problem of unwanted and illegal robocalling. ATIS works with the STI-GA Board to define the rules governing the call authentication infrastructure, with the goal of ensuring calls are effectively “authenticated” to help regrow public trust in the U.S. telephone network,
In August, the STI-GA approved the implementation of new software that will allow for the automated validation of STIR/SHAKEN-signed calls from any country. This implementation is the culmination of a multi-year process that followed ATIS standards work in the area. The new software is expected to be launched at the end of October.
And, of course, the STI-GA must approve the interoperation of the U.S. STIR/SHAKEN ecosystem with a system in another country before signed calls from those countries will be properly validated. Interoperation approval depends on the design of the foreign STIR/SHAKEN ecosystem adhering to the design set forth in the ATIS standards. But system design is only one important factor. The policies of the foreign ecosystem also must support the same security and integrity as the polices adopted by the U.S. STI-GA. The proper expansion of STIR/SHAKEN benefits all end users, regardless of their location.
In May 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) that, if fully adopted, would drastically alter the STI-GA’s role. STIR/SHAKEN was designed to allow providers to sign the calls they originate so that the providers terminating the call may know, without question who originated the call. It also allows law enforcement to more easily trace calls back to their source. In the May FNPRM, the FCC proposed to make the STI-GA both lead investigator as well as enforcer for FCC robocalling rules.
In response, in a first for the STI-GA, it filed substantial comments with the FCC objecting to the various proposals and suggesting more effective alternatives for the FCC to consider, such as better vetting those providers that register in the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database.
While the FCC has not come to a final decision on its proposals, should it decide to move forward with them, the role of the STI-GA, and perhaps its entire structure, may change dramatically in the coming year.
Be it due to the expansion of STIR/SHAKEN into other countries, or a greatly expanded role for STIR/SHAKEN due to FCC order, it appears great change is on the way for the US STIR/SHAKEN ecosystem with ATIS continuing to help lead the way.
Learn more at https://sti-ga.atis.org/.