On July 9, 2026, the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), "Enhancing Know-Your-Upstream-Provider Requirements and Strengthening STIR/SHAKEN Call Authentication," was officially published in the Federal Register. Publication formally initiates the public comment process and establishes the deadlines for stakeholder participation, with initial comments due August 10, 2026, and reply comments due September 8, 2026.
The proposal is part of the FCC's broader campaign to combat illegal robocalls at every point in the call path. Building on existing robocall mitigation efforts, the Commission seeks to strengthen provider accountability through enhanced KYUP requirements while also improving the effectiveness, consistency, and trustworthiness of STIR/SHAKEN caller authentication implementations throughout the voice ecosystem.
KYC Relevance
The proposed KYUP framework extends identity and accountability expectations beyond end customers and originating providers to the upstream providers that participate in call routing and transmission. The FCC proposes more specific obligations requiring providers to collect information about upstream partners, verify that information, monitor behavior and traffic patterns, and discontinue relationships with providers that facilitate unlawful calling activity.
Key proposed enhancements include:
- More rigorous Know Your Upstream Provider due diligence requirements.
- Verification of upstream provider information rather than reliance on self-attestations alone.
- Ongoing monitoring of upstream provider traffic and business practices.
- Clearer expectations for terminating relationships with providers linked to illegal calling activity.
- Stronger oversight of STIR/SHAKEN implementation and attestation practices.
- Higher standards for assigning attestation levels to improve confidence in caller identity information.
- Closure of implementation gaps that may weaken traceback and enforcement efforts.
Together, these proposals reflect the FCC's continued movement toward an ecosystem-wide trust framework where identity verification, accountability, and continuous oversight are shared responsibilities across the entire call path.
Numeracle’s Stance
Numeracle welcomes publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register and encourages industry participation during the comment period. The proposed enhancements to both KYUP obligations and STIR/SHAKEN requirements have the potential to significantly strengthen trust, accountability, and transparency across the voice ecosystem.
Numeracle has long advocated for a layered approach to protecting communications that combines verified identity, meaningful due diligence, effective call authentication, and ongoing oversight. The proposals outlined in this proceeding align with the principle that trust in caller identity cannot depend solely on authentication technology or customer onboarding, but must be supported by accountability throughout the call path.
As an active participant in call authentication and robocall mitigation policy discussions, Numeracle is reviewing the proposal in detail and looks forward to contributing its expertise to the record. Numeracle supports efforts that strengthen traceback capabilities, improve confidence in STIR/SHAKEN attestations, and establish clear expectations for provider accountability, all of which are critical to building a more trusted communications network.
Initial Comments Due: August 10, 2026
Reply Comments Due: September 8, 2026
Our platform empowers organizations to manage branded calling, improve caller id reputation, and stay compliant with evolving regulatory and industry standards. FAQs like this are designed to provide clear, actionable guidance backed by our expertise in verified identity, call labeling mitigation, and spam prevention.
To explore how Numeracle supports trusted and effective outbound communications, visit www.numeracle.com.
