Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) is highly sensitive that is extremely personal to members. CPNI is the individually identifiable information that is created by a member’s relationship with a communications provider. Examples of CPNI include, but may not be limited to:
- Details about calls made and received, including the amount billed by a long-distance
- Carrier information such as the member’s Preferred Interexchange Carrier (PIC)
- The types of services a member subscribes to and how much they use these services
Effective December 8, 2007, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) enacted rules that require telecommunications carriers to take specific steps to ensure that member information is protected from unauthorized disclosure.
From www.FCC.gov: “The FCC prohibits your telephone company from releasing your member information to you when you call the company except when you provide a password. If you do not provide a password, your telephone company may not release your member information to you except by sending it to your address of record or calling you at your telephone number of record. If you come in person with valid identification to a company store or office, your company can provide you all your member information.”
To comply with these FCC rules, HTC is required to use one of the following methods to authenticate the member prior to releasing any specific information regarding a member’s account – including providing a copy of an HTC billing statement:
- Verify valid photo ID of the member matching the name on the HTC account
- Call the member at the telephone number of record
- Send a copy of the bill to the billing address of record as shown on that specific billing statement
- Verify the PIN shown on the first page of the HTC billing statement
- Verify the member’s pre-established CPNI password
When releasing information as described above, the FCC prohibits the use of biographical or account information as a method of verification.
REVISED 11.2022
