Telecom - Commission Letter addressed to Chris Kellett (CRTC Emergency Services [9-1-1] Working Group) and the distribution list

Ottawa, 19 May 2021

Our reference: 8665-C12-201507576

BY EMAIL

Chris Kellett,
Chair
CRTC Emergency Services [9-1-1] Working Group
chris.kellett@eswg9-1-1.ca

Distribution list

RE: Emergency Calling and Emergency Callback Considerations for STIR/SHAKEN Implementations

Dear Mr. Kellett,

Commission staff is in receipt of a letter from the CRTC Emergency Services [9-1-1] Working Group dated 20 October 2020 (the [9-1-1] Working Group). In this letter, the [9-1-1] Working Group seeks clarification regarding application to Emergency Calls and  Emergency Callbacks (emergency calls) of the STIR/SHAKEN framework in Canada mandated by the Commission, and submits that the Commission mandate CISC to monitor standards work and market reaction in relation to the application of the framework to such calls.

On 6 April 2021, the Commission issued Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom Decision CRTC 2021-123 STIR/SHAKEN implementation for Internet Protocol-based voice calls (CETD 2021-23) in which it directed telecommunications service providers (TSPs) to implement STIR/SHAKEN to authenticate and verify caller identification (ID) information for Internet Protocol (IP)-based voice calls as a condition of offering and providing telecommunications services, effective 30 November 2021.   The obligation on Canadian TSPs to implement STIR/SHAKEN thus applies only to voice calls over the IP portion of their network and not to voice calls over non-IP networks, whether emergency or otherwise.

With regard to the development of standards for the STIR/SHAKEN framework over IP-networks, the Commission has not, at this point, given any specific direction to TSPs about which of the IETF and/or ATIS standards must be implemented.  TSPs participating in TIF 37 and TIF 40 CISC working groups are responsible for closely monitoring the relevant STIR/SHAKEN standards and developing the particularities of the STIR/SHAKEN framework in Canada.  

The EITF standard for STIR emergency calls is still in the draft stage.  Following implementation of a baseline STIR/SHAKEN framework, TSPs will continue to work to extend the framework to include other capabilities, such as the handling of emergency calls. Commission staff will follow this development through STIR/SHAKEN implementation status reports requested in CETD 2021-123, which will specifically provide updates of TSPs’ capacity to authenticate emergency calls.   

As the Director responsible for STIR/SHAKEN, I invite the [9-1-1] Working Group to submit any other questions or comments regarding the integration of emergency calls in the STIR/SHAKEN framework. In addition, I am available to participate in a future [9-1-1] Working Group meeting if that is helpful.

Yours sincerely

Originally signed by

Alain Garneau
Director, Telecommunications Enforcement
Compliance and Enforcement Sector

cc. CRTC Staff that liaise with ESWG
ESWG Participants

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