A voice termination route for the USA is cheap per minute but heavily regulated: every carrier in the chain must be listed in the FCC's Robocall Mitigation Database, calls are signed with STIR/SHAKEN attestation, and calls with US caller IDs that arrive from abroad are signed at the gateway. The CLI you send, and how the route signs it, decides whether your calls are answered or labelled as spam.
Rules last checked: October 2026.
How does US voice termination work?
US voice termination is the last leg of a call to a US number: your platform sends the call to a wholesale carrier, which hands it, directly or through intermediate carriers, to the network that serves the number. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) sets the rules. Four of them shape every US route:
- STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication on IP networks.
- The Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD), where providers file their robocall mitigation plans.
- Gateway provider duties for calls that enter the US from abroad.
- The TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act), which governs consent for automated calls.
What does STIR/SHAKEN mean for US routes?
Under the TRACED Act, voice providers had to implement STIR/SHAKEN on their IP networks by 30 June 2021. The originating or gateway provider signs each call with one of three attestation levels:
| Level | Name | What the signer vouches for |
|---|---|---|
| A | Full | Knows the customer and that they may use the calling number |
| B | Partial | Knows the customer, cannot verify the number |
| C | Gateway | Only knows where the call entered its network |
Gateway providers must sign SIP calls that show a US caller ID and arrive from abroad, so international traffic with US CLIs usually reaches the handset with C attestation. Since 18 September 2025, a provider that uses a third party to sign calls must sign with its own certificate and make the attestation decisions itself. Our STIR/SHAKEN guide covers the mechanics.
What is the Robocall Mitigation Database?
The RMD is the FCC's list of voice providers that have certified their robocall mitigation programs. Voice service providers, gateway providers and intermediate providers must file, and US providers may only accept calls from providers listed in it. Since April 2023 this also covers calls received directly from foreign providers that use US numbers in the caller ID. Filings must be updated within 10 business days of a change and recertified every year by 1 March.
Enforcement is real. In August 2025 the FCC removed 185 providers and then more than 1,200 more for deficient filings, and other providers had to stop carrying their traffic within two business days. Gateway providers must also answer traceback requests from the Industry Traceback Group within 24 hours and know their upstream providers. Before buying a US route, confirm that the carrier, and the gateway it uses, have current filings. KYC for telecom carriers explains what carriers will ask you in return.
Which CLI can you send on US calls?
Send only numbers you have the right to use. A caller ID that you do not control, or a number rotated to dodge spam labels, can get your traffic traced back, blocked and your carrier removed. The rules are in CLI spoofing rules. Practical points:
- Use US numbers assigned to you by a US provider when you call US consumers, so the route can give A attestation where possible.
- Register your numbers with the analytics and caller ID registries and keep volume per number reasonable. See spam likely labels on business calls.
- Dialer traffic needs consent. The TCPA requires prior express consent for autodialed or prerecorded calls to mobiles, and in February 2024 the FCC confirmed that AI-generated voices count as artificial voices. Read are auto dialers legal.
How are US termination rates priced?
US wholesale rates are low per minute, so details decide the real cost:
- Jurisdiction: many decks price interstate, intrastate and indeterminate calls differently, based on the calling and called numbers.
- Number type: rates can differ by the carrier or rate center behind the number, not just the area code, because NANP mixes mobile and fixed numbers in the same ranges.
- Billing increment: 6/6 is common; see billing increments.
- Short calls: dialer traffic with many short calls is often surcharged; see short duration calls.
Compare full decks under the same conditions, as explained in VoIP termination pricing.
Getting a US route
VoIPMatcher sources wholesale VoIP termination for the USA from its carriers and manages the route for you. See the United States VoIP destination page, then request a US voice termination route with your traffic type, CLI and expected volume.
Frequently asked questions
What are voice termination rates for the USA?
US termination is among the cheapest in the world per minute, but rates vary with the route quality, the attestation level the carrier can give, the billing increment and, on many decks, the call jurisdiction (interstate, intrastate or indeterminate). Ask for the full rate deck and compare like with like rather than a single headline rate.
Do foreign carriers need to file in the Robocall Mitigation Database?
Foreign providers that send calls with US numbers in the caller ID directly to US providers must be listed in the Robocall Mitigation Database, because US providers may only accept that traffic from listed providers. In practice most wholesale buyers send traffic through a US gateway or intermediate carrier that holds its own filing.
What is attestation level C?
Level C, gateway attestation, means the signing provider only knows where the call entered its network, for example from an international gateway, and cannot vouch for the caller or the number. Calls from abroad with US caller IDs usually carry C attestation, which analytics engines treat with more caution than A or B.
Can AI voice calls be made to US mobiles?
Only with the called person's prior express consent. In February 2024 the FCC ruled that AI-generated or cloned voices count as artificial voices under the TCPA, so the same consent rules as prerecorded calls apply. Telemarketing calls need prior express written consent, and emergency calls are the main exception.
What happened to providers removed from the Robocall Mitigation Database?
In August 2025 the FCC removed more than 1,200 providers in one action, plus 185 earlier that month, for deficient filings. Other providers had to stop accepting their traffic within two business days, and removed providers can only refile with FCC approval. Check that every carrier in your chain has a valid filing.
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