Thursday, November 29, 2007

To Our Valued Customers

 
Under federal law, you have the right to confidentiality of information regarding the telecommunication services to which you subscribe and Direct Communications has the duty to protect that confidentiality. This confidential information includes such things as, specific services you purchase, the number of services purchased, who your provider is for a service, call detail records, and charges related to the services purchased. This information is referred to as Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI).

Due to the sensitive nature of CPNI, on April 2, 2007, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released new rules pertaining to the security of CPNI with special emphasis on call detail CPNI. Call detail CPNI refers to any and all information pertaining to the transmission of specific telephone calls such as telephone number called, telephone number calling, time, date, charges, location and duration of the telephone call.

Among the new rules is the option for you to establish a password with Direct Communications and provide that password during a telephone call from you before we are authorized to disclose or discuss call detail records. For your protection, this password cannot derive from readily available biographical information such as your social security number, mother’s maiden name, home address, or date of birth.

If you happen to lose or forget your password, Direct Communications has implemented a back-up authentication method. We will ask that you provide us with a secret question. This secret question should prompt you for a response that will allow us to provide you with your password. Again, the secret question cannot derive from biographical information. As an example, your secret question might be: what is the color of my eyes? Or, what is my dogs name? In which case, your back-up answers may be “Green” or Gizmo” respectively.

If you choose not to establish a password and/or secret question, below are alternatives which can be used in order for us to discuss or provide you call detail information.

Direct Communications may discuss only the call detail information you provide such as called number, when it was called, the duration of the call, and, if applicable, the amount charged for the call.
Direct Communications can send the call detail information to the address of record that we have on file for you.
Direct Communications can call you back at the telephone number of record from which your service is derived.
Direct Communications may disclose call detail CPNI to you at our business office with a valid photo ID matching the name listed on the account. Note that we are only authorized to disclose call detail CPNI to the individual(s) listed on the account with a valid photo ID. This password protection will become effective on December 8, 2007 so we strongly encourage you to establish your password and back-up question by completing the enclosed form and returning it to the address provided.

The new CPNI rules also require we notify you immediately if your password, your response to a backup means of authorization for lost or forgotten passwords, or address of record is created or changed. The means of notification may be by way of a telephone call from us to your telephone number of record, or by mail to the address of record as it was prior to the change.

Please feel free to contact Direct Communications local business office at 801 789 2800 with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Direct Communications