| The Consumer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) | | | | Telecommunications Act of 1996, together with the |
| is information that telecommunication services (I.E. local, | | | | clarification from the Federal Communications |
| long distance and wireless telephone carriers) acquire | | | | Commissions (FCC), usually forbids the use of any |
| about their subscribers. The information that is | | | | information that is collected about a customer, even |
| collected typically includes the services they use, as | | | | for marketing purposes, unless express permission to |
| well as the amount that they use these services and | | | | use the information is first given by the customer. In |
| the type of usage. | | | | addition, if a customer switches service providers, the |
| To be more specific, the type of information the CPNI | | | | previous telecommunications carrier they were with, is |
| includes is the various data displayed on a customer's | | | | not permitted to use any information in an attempt to |
| monthly phone bill, which may include: | | | | lure the customer back. |
| • Telephone line type and its technical | | | | However, the CPNI does not prohibit everything. For |
| characteristics | | | | example, the CPNI rules do not forbid the gathering |
| • Service class | | | | and publishing of aggregate customer information. |
| • Existing phone charges | | | | Moreover, the CPNI rules do not prohibit the use of |
| • Local and long distance service billing records | | | | telephone subscribers' information for the purpose of |
| • Directory assistant charges | | | | creating directories. |
| • Usage data | | | | Keep in mind, a telecommunication provider must have |
| • Calling patterns | | | | their customer's permission first before they can share |
| • All optional services to which the customer has | | | | their customer's CPNI with any third party, including |
| subscribed | | | | other agents, affiliates, or parent companies. That being |
| • And so on | | | | said, generally, when a customer allows a |
| Although the CPNI collects all of the above information | | | | telecommunications provider to share their CPNI, this |
| of telephone customers, the CPNI does not include the | | | | helps the provider to better serve the customer and |
| customer's personal information, such as their name, | | | | meet their service needs. Nevertheless, a customer |
| address or phone number. The only parties that are | | | | has the right to notify their carrier that they withdraw |
| privy to this personal information are the customer and | | | | their consent to have their CPNI shared whenever |
| their telecommunications company. | | | | they wish, and their carrier must comply with their |
| Furthermore, it is important to note that the | | | | request. |