PITTSBURGH, September 30, 2020 — ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement regarding recent actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission:
STIR/SHAKEN
“On Tuesday, the FCC took important steps to fulfill its obligations under the TRACED Act with its adoption of an Order to facilitate deployment of STIR/SHAKEN and other robocall mitigation measures. We are pleased the FCC eased small voice providers’ implementation of this new technology in their Internet Protocol networks by providing them two additional years to achieve compliance. ACA Connects members are eager to bring their customers relief from the torrent of unwanted and illegal robocalls and are committed to working with the FCC and other stakeholders towards this end. We commend the FCC for getting us another step closer with the adoption of Tuesday’s Order.”
Cable Service Change Notifications
“We applaud the FCC for its Report and Order adopted today that clarifies that cable operators must notify customers “as soon as possible,” rather than 30 days in advance, when a failure in carriage negotiations results in a channel blackout. This decision reflects the reality of the marketplace, in which deals are negotiated up to the last minute. By clarifying that cable operators are not required to notify customers that there’s a possibility of a blackout — no matter how small — the FCC will prevent consumers from being flooded with irrelevant notices that are more likely to confuse than inform them. We also commend the FCC for other measures taken in today’s Order to streamline the cable service change notification rules and free cable operators from outdated obligations.”