The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Regulatory Bulletin.
TELECOM
FCC
Data Security Enforcement Action
The FCC announced it had entered into a $25 million settlement with AT&T Services, Inc. to resolve an investigation into consumer privacy violations at AT&T’s call centers in Mexico, Colombia, and the Philippines. The data breaches involved the unauthorized disclosure of almost 280,000 U.S. customers’ names, full or partial Social Security numbers, and unauthorized access to protected account-related data, known as customer proprietary network information (CPNI). The information was obtained by AT&T call center employees who then sold the information to third parties who used it to submit online requests for cellular handset unlock codes. The FCC said it was its largest privacy and data security enforcement action to date.
In addition to the civil penalty, AT&T agreed to notify all customers whose accounts were improperly accessed and pay for credit monitoring services for one year. AT&T will also improve its privacy and data security practices by appointing a senior compliance manager who is a certified privacy professional, conducting a privacy risk assessment, implementing an information security program, preparing an appropriate compliance manual, and regularly training employees on the company’s privacy policies and the applicable privacy legal authorities. AT&T will file regular compliance reports with the FCC for the next three years and report and non-compliance.
E-Rate Funded FiberBuild Workshop
The FCC announced that its Wireline Competition Bureau and the Office of Strategic Planning & Policy Analysis will hold a workshop on May 20, 2015, to provide schools, libraries, providers, and state and local policy makers with information and tools for planning fiber build projects under the new E-rate rules. The workshop will provide an overview of the new E-rate rules governing installment payments, state matching funds for fiber builds, leasing and management of dark fiber, and self-construction. It will also explore best practices for fiber builds and practical challenges to aligning fiber builds with the E-rate application process and other E-rate rules. It will focus particular attention on the issues applicants need to consider in order to choose the most cost-effective option for deploying fiber. The workshop is open to the public and can be viewed on the FCC’s Web page at www.fcc.gov/live.
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NEW Workshop! We have dates for a 2nd Workshop this spring! Dates for Spring 2 are May 18 & 19, 2015!
ONLY 2 SEATS LEFT
