FCC Chairman Carr Proposes Tougher Vetting Before Anyone Gets U.S. Phone Numbers

So the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is going after the supply.

On October 28, 2026, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr proposed new rules aimed at stopping bad actors from getting access to the telephone numbers they need to launch illegal robocalling campaigns. The full Commission is set to vote on the item at its November meeting. You can read the FCC news release on the phone number proposal.

Read that again: this is a proposal. Nothing has been adopted yet. But if it passes, it changes who gets numbers and how.

So what happened?

According to the FCC's news release, the Order shared with the Commissioners would modify the FCC's VoIP numbering authorization rules. VoIP is Voice over Internet Protocol, the internet-based calling a huge chunk of the industry runs on. Here's what the Order would do:

• Require new national security-focused certifications before anyone can get access to phone numbers.
• Protect numbering resources from entities identified on the Commission's Covered List.
• Improve the authorization process, adding transparency and streamlining how the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau reviews and manages it.

The item also includes a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM). That's the part where the FCC asks the public for input on more changes. According to the release, the FNPRM would seek comment on:

• Additional robocalling and national security-focused certifications and disclosures under the FCC's direct access rules.
• Measures to protect U.S. telecommunications networks against foreign adversaries and other cybersecurity and physical security risks.
• Administrative proposals to clarify the Bureau's application review and oversight authority.
• More transparency about which providers apply for and receive direct access to numbers.
• Making sure all VoIP numbering authorizations continue to serve the public interest.

Chairman Carr put it this way in his statement: "We are going to enhance the vetting process that all providers must go through before they obtain access to telephone numbers. This will make it substantially more difficult for bad actors to operate in our networks."

Why should you care?

Look, I get it. Numbering rules sound like the most boring corner of telecom. But here's the other thing ...

The FCC says bad actors are known to obtain large amounts of numbers to bypass robocall mitigation measures and continue to scam American consumers. Burn a number, grab a new one, keep dialing. It's not rocket science.

So the FCC is working its way through what Carr calls "every portion of the lifecycle of a call." And this isn't a one-off. The release lays out the trail:

1. Last year, the FCC voted to apply its robocall, public safety and national security compliance certification and disclosure requirements to all interconnected VoIP providers that directly access U.S. numbering resources.
2. In March, the Commission proposed expanded certification and disclosure requirements for all providers that receive telephone numbering resources, directly or indirectly, to get more visibility into what entities are doing with those numbers.
3. Now comes this Order and FNPRM, headed for a vote at the November meeting.

If you're a VoIP provider, a reseller, a pay per call shop or anybody who buys numbers in bulk, this is your world. More certifications. More disclosures. More eyes on who you are and what you do with your numbers.

What should you do right now?

Nothing here is final, OK? But you don't wait for the rule to land to get your house in order. Pro tip: the providers who sail through vetting are the ones who already have their paperwork together.

• Know where every number you use comes from, and who holds the numbering authorization behind it.
• Keep your own robocall compliance certifications and filings current and accurate.
• Ask your carriers and number providers how they intend to manage the new certification requirements.
• Watch for the public draft of the item. The FCC said it would post it on October 29, 2026 at fcc.gov/November2026.
• Keep an eye on the FNPRM comment cycle if your business depends on direct access to numbers.

The bottom line

I've spent a lot of my career around phone numbers and the people who buy them. Most of those people are running legit businesses. The ones who hoard numbers to dodge call blocking make life harder for everybody else.

If the FCC adopts this, getting numbers gets harder for the bad guys. For the good guys, it probably means more forms. I'll take that trade. Hell yes.

Source: Federal Communications Commission, Carr Proposes Crackdown on Bad Actors' Access to U.S. Phone Numbers (Oct. 28, 2026).