It’s a common occurrence for most cellphone users when the familiar ring tone of an incoming call is paired with a strange and unknown number popping up on a screen. There might be a slight pause as the owner takes a moment to contemplate whether or not to answer the phone.
There’s little choice for those waiting for some sort of call back, have it be job-hunters, receptionists, or any other professional who uses phone calls as a primary form of communication daily.
There’s an instant pang of regret when answered.
It’s not an interviewer or someone looking to book an appointment; it’s an unknown voice telling you something horrible has happened.
It might be automated, telling the listener their calling from the Canada Border Service Agency about trouble with a recent border crossing. Or one claiming to be from a phone company with an outstanding bill.
It could also be a live person on the other end, telling a tale of a family member in trouble or that an account has been hacked, and personal details or money is needed to recover information.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) promised to make a change. They ordered carriers to implement the use of STIR/SHAKEN technology.
It’s a two-part system that authenticates callers. Secure Telephony Information Revisited (STIR) allows providers to validate an incoming call. Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information using Tokens (SHAKEN) is the larger framework used by network providers.
After several delays, November 30th, 2021, was set as the day the change would come into effect and was celebrated by the CRTC and carriers alike.
“This new caller ID technology will empower Canadians to determine which calls are legitimate and worth answering, and which need to be treated with caution,” Ian Scott, CRTC’s chairperson, said of the new technology. “As more providers upgrade their networks, STIR/SHAKEN will undoubtedly reduce spoofing and help Canadians regain peace of mind when answering phone calls.”
The sentiment of the second part of Scott’s quote wasn’t widely shared; not all wireless mobile customers would see the benefits of this technology right away. In fact, many of them will have to wait for an unknown period of time.
Delays are ‘betrayals,’ customer says
That’s where Sean Fordyce found himself. The Telus customer thought the deadline meant technology would be available on all devices, but when he continued to get spam calls, he gave his provider a call.
After speaking with customer service and tech support and realizing neither of them knew what he was talking about, an employee found an internal memo that said the change only applied to the Google Pixel.
“STIR/SHAKEN offered a real solution to businesses, people getting calls for work from unknown numbers, and the unemployed. This is a betrayal from the telecom [companies],” Fordyce said.
In response to a number of questions, Telus told MobileSyrup the new technology is available on next-generation homes phones and for “customers with a device that supports the technology in its factory setup and can receive Telus VoLTE service.” All agents were also made aware of STIR/SHAKEN and provided with resources they could use to help customers.
Questions asking Telus to explain what specific devices would be included did not lead to a response ahead of publication. MobileSyrup was told the technology applies to the “network core [and] the expectation is that all customers will receive some benefits from the addition of STIR/SHAKEN technology.”
On its website, Rogers shares that both the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have the software to support the new technology, and the organization is working with manufacturers to ensure other phones can support the network.
Pixel devices already have the ability to screen calls before they were answered, long before the CRTC’s new rule, through its Screen Call feature. Users are allowed to screen a call if it’s coming from an unknown number using Google Assistant. Assistant screens the caller, while sharing details with the phone owner, and then gives them the option to jump in on the call.
It’s not clear if any provider claiming STIR/SHAKEN technology is available through Pixel is differentiating it from the phone’s original ability to screen spam calls.
According to the Canadian Secure Token Governance Authority’s (CSTGA) website, STIR/SHAKEN can only be implemented when a certificate is issued to a service provider, which is used to “verify the caller information.”
“This information is transmitted using a “digital signature” and is used by the called party, or their service provider, to verify the authenticity of the caller ID.” These certificates are granted by a Certificate Authority (CA).
In 2019, the CRTC approved a request from Canadian telecom companies to establish the CSTGA, which overlooks the certificate process.
“Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, SaskTel, Shaw Communications, Telus and Vidéotron are among the Founding members of the CSTGA,” the website notes.
It’s not clear if the CSTGA received applications from service providers to help secure STIR/SHAKEN technology.
Implementation in the U.S.
The technology has already been mandated in the U.S by the Federal Communications Commission. A letter announcing the implementation notes service providers are using the technology “in their IP networks.” There’s no mention of the success of the technology being tied to a specific phone.
Bell told MobileSyrup SHAKEN/STIR was implemented “across our mobile network.” Questions asking if this included specific devices were not answered.
A spokesperson for Shaw shared the company began rolling out the changes in November, but there could be delays because of “challenges associated with technical testing.” On its website, the company says the rollout will happen on a “launch date that is yet to be determined.” Questions asking if specific devices are compatible were not answered. The CRTC told MobileSyrup the new technology is “a condition of service” for providers.
“As we noted in our news release, not all calls are currently verifiable due to device and network compatibility requirements, including calls that are not entirely performed over an IP-voice network,” a spokesperson said.
The organization said it’s monitoring the implementation of this network.
