A business call can be technically connected yet still fail to reach the person who matters. When consumers see an unfamiliar number or a call carries weak identity signals they may ignore it, send it to voicemail or rely on carrier and analytics systems to decide whether it should reach the handset.
That makes identity verification an important component of modern call deliverability. For telecom operators and voice providers the objective is not simply to complete calls but to provide reliable identity information that downstream networks can use when evaluating legitimate traffic.
1. Why Identity Verification Matters for Call Deliverability
A Connected Call Is Not Necessarily a Reached Customer
Call deliverability involves more than SIP routing and network availability. A call can successfully traverse the network while still receiving limited attention from the recipient.
Hiya's 2026 State of the Call report found that 86% of unknown calls go unanswered based on a survey of more than 12,000 consumers across six countries. Hiya also reported that only 14% of consumers immediately answer calls from numbers they do not recognize. (Hiya Blog)
This creates a practical distinction:
Call completion ≠ call engagement
Identity verification helps address the second part of that equation by providing evidence about who is originating the call.
Trust Signals Can Influence the Treatment of Calls
STIR/SHAKEN creates a framework through which providers can cryptographically authenticate caller identity and communicate information about the caller's relationship with the originating service provider. (Twilio)
The receiving network can then use that information as part of its call-handling decisions.
For businesses making appointment reminders, customer-service calls or outbound contact-center calls this distinction can be significant. The technical objective is to ensure legitimate calls carry accurate identity information throughout the authentication process.
2. How STIR/SHAKEN Supports Better Call Deliverability
Identity Creates a Verifiable Trust Chain
STIR/SHAKEN uses digital signatures to connect caller information with the originating provider. The provider signs relevant call information and the terminating provider can retrieve the associated certificate to verify the signature. (Twilio)
The process can be viewed as a chain:
Caller → Telephone Number → Attestation → PASSporT → Certificate → Verification
Each element contributes to the credibility of the call.
An analogy is a business visitor entering a corporate building. A name alone may not be enough. The visitor's identity needs to correspond with a valid invitation and an authorized access credential. STIR/SHAKEN applies a similar concept to telephone identity through cryptographic authentication.
Attestation Adds Context
STIR/SHAKEN attestation provides information about what the originating provider knows about the caller and the telephone number.
Twilio describes A attestation as indicating that the provider knows the caller and knows the caller has the right to use the telephone number. B means the customer is known but the provider cannot establish the same level of number-use authorization while C applies when the requirements for A or B are not met. (Twilio)
This matters because identity verification is not simply about determining whether a number exists.
It is about establishing the relationship between:
Customer identity + number authorization + originating provider
That relationship can provide downstream systems with better authentication context.
3. Identity Verification Can Help Reduce Unnecessary Call Friction
Consumers Are Already More Cautious With Unknown Calls
The consumer environment has changed because unwanted calls have reduced confidence in voice communications.
Hiya's 2026 research reported that 86% of unknown calls go unanswered and 73% of consumers surveyed agreed that businesses should identify themselves through caller ID. (Hiya Blog)
For a legitimate business this creates a communication problem.
Consider a healthcare provider calling about an appointment. The network may successfully deliver the call but if the recipient sees an unfamiliar number and chooses not to answer then the operational goal has not been achieved.
Identity verification cannot guarantee that a consumer will answer a call. It can however provide a technical foundation for trusted calling features and downstream identity or reputation systems.
Authentication Becomes Part of the Deliverability Stack
A modern voice operation can therefore be viewed as several layers:
Network routing
↓
Call authentication
↓
Identity verification
↓
Reputation and analytics
↓
Caller presentation
↓
Consumer response
This is why authentication should not be treated as an isolated compliance function. It can form part of the broader infrastructure supporting legitimate call delivery.
Twilio specifically states that SHAKEN/STIR attestation is an input used by call analytics companies when determining whether calls may appear as verified or potential spam or be sent to voicemail or blocked. (Twilio)
4. Accurate Identity Data Is Critical to Deliverability
Verification Starts Before the Call Is Signed
A certificate cannot compensate for inaccurate customer or number information.
Suppose a telecom provider has a verified business customer but the telephone number being used in the outbound call is not correctly associated with that customer's identity. The authentication system may be technically functional while the underlying identity relationship remains incomplete.
That is why providers should connect:
Customer identity
Telephone-number assignment
Number authorization
Authentication policy
Attestation
Call-signing infrastructure
Twilio's SHAKEN/STIR onboarding provides an example of this approach. Its workflow associates phone numbers with an approved business identity before assigning them to a SHAKEN/STIR Trust Product. (Twilio)
Identity Management Should Follow the Number
Number inventories change continuously.
Customers add numbers. Numbers are reassigned. Resellers onboard new customers and businesses change their communications infrastructure.
If identity records do not keep pace with those changes then authentication quality can deteriorate.
A useful operational model is:
Verify → Associate → Authenticate → Monitor → Update
This turns identity verification into an ongoing process rather than a one-time onboarding activity.
5. Certificate Infrastructure Directly Supports Authentication
The Certificate Is Part of the Evidence
STIR/SHAKEN authentication depends on certificates that allow receiving providers to verify signatures.
That means certificate management can have an indirect effect on call deliverability.
An expired certificate, incorrect certificate URL or unavailable certificate repository can interfere with the verification process even when the originating provider's customer information is correct.
Peeringhub provides a focused STIR/SHAKEN certificate authority infrastructure with certificate enrollment, certificate management, delegated signing and developer automation. Its platform also includes an Identity Header Parser and Certificate Inspector. (Peering Hub)
Visibility Helps Operators Find Deliverability Problems
Peeringhub's Identity Header Parser can decode a STIR/SHAKEN Identity header and expose information including:
Attestation
Origination
Destination
x5u
Algorithm
Signature status
Its Certificate Inspector can inspect certificate information from pasted content, a certificate URL or uploaded certificate files. (Peering Hub)
This creates a practical troubleshooting workflow:
Call issue → Identity header → PASSporT → Certificate → Signature → Verification
Instead of assuming that a call-delivery problem is a routing issue operators can examine the authentication layer as part of the investigation.
6. Call Deliverability Depends on More Than Authentication
STIR/SHAKEN Is Important but Not a Complete Deliverability System
It is important to distinguish authentication from overall call reputation.
STIR/SHAKEN provides information about caller identity and number-use authorization. It does not by itself guarantee that a consumer will answer a call or that every carrier or analytics provider will classify the call in the same way.
Other factors can include:
Calling patterns
Consumer feedback
Spam reports
Number reputation
Call frequency
Network behavior
Caller presentation
Brand identity
Analytics decisions
Twilio describes STIR/SHAKEN as one factor used by call analytics companies when determining how calls may be treated. (Twilio)
This distinction is important for telecom operators because improving authentication should be viewed as strengthening one part of a larger call-trust ecosystem.
Current Data Shows Why Coverage Matters
TransNexus reported that 54.8% of calls at termination carried STIR/SHAKEN information in August 2026 based on data collected from hundreds of voice service providers using its solutions. The company described this as its highest observed level while noting that it remained below the level required to deliver the full benefits of call authentication. (TransNexus)
This demonstrates both progress and an operational reality: authenticated calling is becoming more established but coverage and consistency still matter.
For providers this means authentication should be monitored across actual traffic rather than treated as a configuration that can simply be checked off.
7. Building a Deliverability-Focused Identity Strategy
Start With Identity Quality
The first step is making sure customer and telephone-number information is accurate.
Operators should establish clear relationships between:
Customer → Authorized numbers → Provider → Authentication policy
This gives signing systems reliable information to work with.
Automate Certificate Operations
Certificate issuance and lifecycle management should be integrated into operational workflows.
Peeringhub supports certificate operations through its web interface along with APIs and Python tooling. Its infrastructure is designed to help providers manage STIR/SHAKEN certificates without building the entire trust stack independently. (Peering Hub)
Automation can reduce manual certificate errors while giving engineering teams more consistent lifecycle control.
Monitor Authentication Results
A useful monitoring framework should examine:
Authentication success
Attestation distribution
Identity header errors
Certificate expiration
Certificate retrieval
Signature validation
Changes in call treatment
This turns call deliverability into a measurable operational function.
Compare Infrastructure Approaches
Different providers address caller identity from different architectural positions.
Peeringhub focuses on STIR/SHAKEN certificate authority and trust infrastructure. Its current platform combines certificate management with Identity Header parsing, certificate inspection and developer automation. (Peering Hub)
Twilio integrates STIR/SHAKEN into its broader communications platform. Its Trust Hub connects business identity profiles with phone numbers and SHAKEN/STIR products while its voice platform exposes verification information for applications and call handling. (Twilio)
TransNexus provides a broader STIR/SHAKEN and voice-security environment with authentication, verification and certificate-management capabilities. Its published statistics also provide visibility into STIR/SHAKEN participation and call coverage across its observed provider ecosystem. (TransNexus)
These approaches serve different infrastructure models. The relevant consideration for a telecom operator is how identity verification fits into its existing provisioning, certificate, routing and monitoring architecture.
Conclusion: Identity Verification Is Becoming Part of Call Deliverability
Call deliverability is no longer only a question of whether a network can complete a call. In an environment where 86% of unknown calls go unanswered, establishing credible caller identity has become an important part of the broader voice-trust equation. (Hiya Blog)
STIR/SHAKEN provides the technical framework for authenticating caller identity through digital signatures, certificates and attestation. But effective implementation depends on accurate customer data, valid number relationships, reliable certificate infrastructure and continuous operational monitoring.
For telecom operators the practical approach is to connect these elements:
Verify identity → authorize numbers → authenticate calls → maintain certificates → monitor results
Peeringhub provides infrastructure designed around this trust layer with STIR/SHAKEN certificate authority services, Identity Header analysis, certificate inspection and developer automation. (Peering Hub)
The objective is not to promise that authentication alone will make every call reach every customer. It is to give legitimate voice traffic stronger identity evidence that downstream networks and analytics systems can use as part of their call-handling decisions.
Strengthen the Identity Behind Every Call
Explore Peeringhub to build a more structured STIR/SHAKEN infrastructure for certificate management, identity inspection and trusted voice operations.
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