Terminating into the US
Traffic entering the US network raises obligations regardless of where it originated.
- International Section 214 authority
- Gateway provider considerations
- Attestation and traffic reputation
- Traceback response
International Providers
US Regulatory Exposure,From Anywhere in the World.
You do not need a US head office to carry US telecom obligations. Terminating into the US network, selling to US customers, holding US numbering resources, or owning a US entity is enough. EquiTel works with international carriers, platforms, and investors whose exposure sits in a jurisdiction they do not operate from.
Where International Exposure Comes From.
Four routes, and most providers arrive through more than one without having mapped any of them.
Selling to US customers
A customer relationship in the US generally brings US regulatory obligations with it.
- Revenue reporting obligations
- Customer information rules
- State-level registration
- Consumer protection requirements
Holding US resources
US numbering resources and interconnection arrangements carry conditions.
- Numbering resource conditions
- Interconnection obligations
- Records and reporting
- Carrier documentation expectations
Owning a US entity
A subsidiary, an acquisition, or an investment position creates exposure at the parent level.
- Transfer of control approvals
- Foreign ownership review
- Post-close integration
- Group-level reporting
Regulators do not ask where your head office is.They ask what your traffic did.
The Cross-Border Practices.
These are the matters international providers most often bring to us — and they are US matters, handled from a US practice.
International Section 214 & Authority
The authority most foreign providers discover during diligence.
Section 214 authority generally attaches to providing international telecommunications service, not to owning facilities — which is why resale-based operators so often find the gap late. We determine what authority the operation requires and what exposure exists where it is absent. Applications are filed by STIRSHAKEN.AI.
- Authority determination
- Service characterisation
- Scope versus operation review
- Remediation of authority gaps
Foreign Ownership & Change of Control
Where transaction timelines actually go.
Transfers of control require prior approval, and foreign ownership can attract executive branch review. The review is not the difficulty — the calendar is. We characterise the transaction, assemble the ownership record, and flag what will extend the timeline before it becomes a closing condition.
- Transaction characterisation
- Disclosable interest mapping
- Foreign ownership disclosure
- Pre-LOI timeline analysis
- Post-close record integration
US Market Entry Compliance Review
Before you are operating, not after.
For providers entering the US market, we establish the obligation set that will apply to the intended service model — so entry is planned against real requirements rather than discovered through a carrier refusing traffic.
- Obligation set for the intended model
- Entity and structure implications
- State footprint analysis
- Sequencing for launch
- Hand-off to STIRSHAKEN.AI for registration
Cross-Border Voice & Traffic Reputation
How US carriers treat traffic that arrives from elsewhere.
Foreign-originated traffic raises attestation and gateway questions that differ from domestic origination. When US carriers begin restricting your traffic, the remedy runs through evidence and communication as much as configuration.
- Attestation position for foreign-originated traffic
- Gateway provider considerations
- Traceback response
- US carrier relationship recovery
Sister company — STIRSHAKEN.AI
Who actually files it.
Filing execution, STIR/SHAKEN certification, and US registrations for international providers are handled by STIRSHAKEN.AI, our sister company — AI-powered, backed by humans.
- FCC registration and FRN
- Form 499-A and 499-Q worksheets
- Robocall Mitigation Database certification
- CPNI annual certification
- Section 214 applications and transfers
- State PUC registrations
- STIR/SHAKEN certification & onboarding — STI-PA registration, SPC token, certificates
- STIR SHIELD — continuous compliance monitoring
Certify. File. Monitor.
STIRSHAKEN.AI takes providers through STIR/SHAKEN certification end to end — eligibility, SPC token, certificates, and the records that keep them renewing — and executes every regulatory filing.
Get STIR/SHAKEN Certified All Filing Services
STIR SHIELD — continuous monitoring
Once you are in good standing, STIR SHIELD watches the obligation set and files what is required. Optional, and contracted directly with STIRSHAKEN.AI.
Explore STIR SHIELDEquiTel sets the position where judgement is required. STIRSHAKEN.AI certifies, files, and monitors. Engaging either does not commit you to the other.
What We Do Not Do.
Being explicit about this matters more for international clients than for domestic ones.
The Concern
Can you advise on our home-country regulator?The EquiTel Response
No. EquiTel is a US telecom compliance practice. We advise on US federal and state obligations, including those that reach providers based elsewhere. For home-jurisdiction requirements you should retain local counsel or a local regulatory adviser — and we work alongside them routinely.
The Concern
Are you a law firm?The EquiTel Response
No, in any jurisdiction. We do not provide legal advice or representation. Many international engagements run alongside US counsel, and we handle the regulatory, operational, and documentation side of the matter.
The Concern
Do you file on our behalf?The EquiTel Response
EquiTel establishes the position. Filing execution and US registrations are performed by STIRSHAKEN.AI, our sister company. Engaging one does not commit you to the other.
The Concern
How is confidentiality handled across borders?The EquiTel Response
Every engagement runs under the same confidentiality standard regardless of where the client sits. Where data protection obligations in your jurisdiction impose additional requirements, raise them at the outset and we will accommodate them in the engagement terms.
Working Across Time Zones.
A regulatory deadline does not move because of the hour where you are. Neither do we.
1
Scheduled to your hours
Assessment and advisory engagements are scheduled in your business hours. Written work product is delivered on your calendar, not ours.
2
Scheduled to the deadline
Emergency Response™ engagements run against the regulatory or carrier deadline. When those conflict with local hours, the deadline wins.
3
Written for a reader elsewhere
Findings are written to be actionable without a live call — because the person who needs them may be eight hours away.
Your Exposure Is in the US.Your Adviser Should Be Too.
EquiTel works with international carriers, platforms, and investors carrying US telecom exposure. Every inquiry is confidential, and initial conversations are scheduled in your time zone.
International Questions.
We are based outside the US. Do US telecom obligations reach us?
If you terminate traffic into the US network, sell to US customers, hold US numbering resources, or operate a US subsidiary, the answer is frequently yes. Obligations attach to the activity and the entity, not to where your head office sits.
What is Section 214 authority and do we need it?
Section 214 authority is required to provide international telecommunications service to or from the United States. It generally attaches to providing the service rather than owning facilities, so resale arrangements commonly carry the obligation.
What happens when a foreign investor acquires a US carrier?
Transfers of control of Section 214 authorizations generally require prior Commission approval, and transactions with foreign ownership can attract review by the executive branch agencies commonly referred to as Team Telecom. Timelines extend materially, which is why the analysis belongs at the letter of intent.
Does STIR/SHAKEN apply to traffic originating outside the US?
Foreign-originated traffic entering the US network raises attestation and gateway-provider questions that differ from domestic origination. How your traffic is signed, and by whom, affects how US carriers treat it.
Do you advise on regulation outside the United States?
No. EquiTel is a US telecom compliance recovery firm. We advise on US federal and state obligations, including those that reach foreign providers. For obligations in your home jurisdiction you should retain local counsel or a local regulatory adviser, and we work alongside them regularly.
How do you work across time zones?
Engagements run on your business hours where the matter allows, and on the deadline where it does not. Emergency Response engagements are scheduled around the regulatory or carrier deadline rather than around ours.