Combating Robocalling: Ribbon Completes Innovative Solutions Testing with Neustar

Ribbon Communications Inc., a global software enabler in secure and intelligent cloud communications, has announced that two of its key solutions have successfully completed interoperability testing to support a major industry effort designed to help communications service providers (CSPs) protect consumers against unwanted robocalls and caller ID spoofing.

Ribbon's software and appliance-based session border controllers (SBC 5000 Series, SBC 7000 and SBC SWe) and its policy and routing (PSX) software solutions have completed testing with Neustar, a leading global information services provider and the exclusive host of the ATIS Robocalling Testbed.

This testing supports a joint effort from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) called STIR-SHAKEN, which is aimed at boosting consumer protection against robocalls and spoofing. Ribbon's software-based solutions comply with the IETF's Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) standards and the Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs (SHAKEN) framework, which was developed by the ATIS/SIP Forum NNI Task Force.

Ribbon is collaborating closely with Neustar and other industry partners to deliver a comprehensive solution that enables CSPs to combat robo and nuisance calls via the STIR-SHAKEN initiative.

"Nuisance and spoofed calls have been cited as the largest source of consumer complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and are now the agency's top priority, with the FCC Chairman calling on all CSPs to work together to make call authentication a reality," said Kevin Riley, Chief Technology Officer for Ribbon. "Our newly tested, standards-based solutions allow CSPs to now offer consumers significantly improved call authentication and verification protection against the annoying spoofed calls and robocalls that many of us receive on a daily basis."

Riley added, "These solutions combined with our SBC and Ribbon Protect security features provide CSPs with a comprehensive offering for Unified Communications security and improved identity management."

"The Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority operating under the auspices of ATIS is bringing the industry together to develop an overall framework to put STIR-SHAKEN into action in the network," said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. "Our joint STIR-SHAKEN efforts are helping Testbed participants deliver practical solutions to address one of the industry's most serious concerns."

"Ribbon and Neustar are working closely with other ecosystem partners and industry organizations to deliver best-in-class, interoperable, standards-based solutions that will help service providers address this growing problem," said James Garvert, General Manager and Vice President, Caller Identification Solutions, Neustar. "We believe our close collaboration and combined expertise will help accelerate the industry adoption of the STIR-SHAKEN standards."