FCC Slaps Hundreds of Carriers That Didn’t File CPNI Certifications
More than 600 telecom carriers each face $20,000 fines for failing to file annual certifications last year showing compliance with Customer Proprietary Network Information rules, the FCC said late Tuesday. Other operators, accused of filing faulty certifications, face fines of $1,000 to $10,000. Most of the carriers that received notices of apparent liability were small companies from across the wireline, wireless and satellite industries. The fines are a part of the FCC’s efforts to “reduce its backlog” and provide “improved regulatory guidance,” the commission said.
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Any money collected will go to the U.S. Treasury. The FCC is seeking more than $13 million total from 666 companies. The FCC issued notices Tuesday proposing fines totaling $67,000 to 30 noncompliant filers. More will come this week, a commission official said. The FCC hasn’t released the total number of noncompliant companies.
“Carriers’ obligation to annually certify that they have implemented a CPNI protection plan is essential to ensuring their compliance with the Commission’s rules as well as our ability to monitor their compliance,” said acting Chairman Michael Copps. “The broad nature of this enforcement action hopefully will ensure substantial compliance with our CPNI rules going forward as the Commission continues to make consumer privacy protection a top priority.”
The enforcement action concerns CPNI certifications for 2007 that were due March 1, 2008. This was the first year the FCC required annual certifications, and the commission warned that it may impose “more severe penalties” for noncompliance in the future. In 2006, before certification was annual, the FCC issued notices with proposed fines totaling $100,000. Before issuing the notices, the Enforcement Bureau said it sent companies letters of inquiry asking for evidence that they filed appropriately, the FCC said. Each company that failed to show evidence now must pay fines in 30 days. Companies may also try to show that the fines don’t apply or ask that they be reduced for inability to pay.