Verizon won a slamming case at the FCC. Slamming, changing a subscriber’s phone carrier without permission, is prohibited.
The FCC requires that a carrier receive individual subscriber consent before a carrier change can occur. The carrier must: obtain the subscriber’s written or electronically signed authorization in a format that satisfies FCC rules; obtain confirmation from the subscriber via a toll-free number provided exclusively for the purpose of confirming orders electronically; or use an appropriately qualified independent third-party to verify the order.
In July, the agency received a complaint alleging Verizon changed the complainant’s telecom service provider without authorization. Verizon told the Commission it provided the local network service for the complainant’s telephone line to AT&T on a wholesale basis.
According to Verizon, AT&T submitted a cancellation order to Verizon in May, which Verizon executed, thereby resulting in the complainant losing local telephone service on her number. Verizon said the individual contacted Verizon to establish a new voice line on the number she previously used. Verizon said the new voice connection is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service and therefore, not subject to the agency’s third-party verification rules.
Based on the evidence, the FCC decided that Verizon’s actions didn’t result in an “unauthorized change” in the person’s telecom service provider. That’s why it denied the complaint.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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