The Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority (STI-GA) today announced the approval of agreements with ATIS and iconectiv to continue helping lead the U.S. SHAKEN (Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) (SHAKEN) ecosystem. SHAKEN provides a mechanism for service providers (SPs) to help consumers evaluate the accuracy of displayed Caller ID information.
ATIS signed a three-year agreement to help manage and administer the STI-GA’s call authentication framework and iconectiv executed a new five-year agreement as the Secure Telephone Identity Policy Administrator (STI-PA). Both ATIS and iconectiv fulfill critical roles in industry efforts to mitigate illegal robocalling.
ATIS has helped the STI-GA Board implement, administer and manage the STIR/SHAKEN framework since its 2018 initiation. iconectiv has served as the STI-PA since 2019 when STIR/SHAKEN was first implemented under the STI-GA.
“ATIS believes now, as we have from the start, that the call authentication framework is an important tool for mitigating illegal robocalling in the U.S.,” said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. “This framework has been highly effective. We are proud to be a partner in this critical, industry-driven effort.”
As the STI-PA, iconectiv enforces the rules defined by the STI-GA to operationalize the SHAKEN framework. With more than 1,300 SPs now participating, the growth in the SHAKEN ecosystem has been tremendous; the iconectiv platform has kept apace.
“We’re pleased to welcome both ATIS and iconectiv for new terms,” said Linda Vandeloop, (AT&T) STI-GA Chair. “They have served the industry well and the STI-GA Board looks forward to continuing our efforts together.”
“The communications industry is leading the charge to restore trust in communication,” said iconectiv Executive Vice President Peter Ford. “By collaborating with various stakeholders and managing the STI framework, iconectiv remains committed to empowering consumers to confidently answer their phones once again. Together, we’re not just combating illegal robocalls; we’re paving the way for a future where trust in caller ID is universal.”
The SHAKEN ecosystem has been in growth mode over its initial five years, and it is clear that a stable framework serves the industry well as it continues to evolve to meet new challenges. Today’s announcement marks a critical step in maintaining that stability.
About the STI-GA
Operating under the auspices of ATIS, the STI-GA is the industry-led effort to support the timely deployment of the STIR/SHAKEN protocol and framework. The STI-GA Board consists of representatives from the following stakeholders:
- Chair – Linda Vandeloop, AT&T
- Vice Chair – Glenn Clepper, Charter Communications; appointed by NCTA – The Internet
- & Television Association
- Brian Hurley; appointed by the America’s Communications Association
- Nathan Sutter, Nex-Tech Wireless; appointed by the Competitive Carriers Association
- John Marinho; appointed by CTIA
- Greg Rogers, Bandwidth; appointed by INCOMPAS
- Dave Frigen, Wabash Communications; appointed by NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association
- Elizabeth Gray-Nunez, Verizon; appointed by US Telecom
- Gunnar Halley, Microsoft; appointed by the VON Coalition
- Michael Starkey, QSI Consulting, Inc.; appointed by TEXALTEL
- Beth O’Donnell, Comcast
- Darah Franklin, Google
Learn more about the industry-led STI-GA and its critical contributions toward combating illegal robocalling at: https://www.atis.org/sti-ga/
