Why is all this necessary?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has determined that customers’ phone records can be vulnerable to those who fraudulently obtain private information by posing as the customer over the phone or online. To combat this problem, the FCC prohibits Astound from releasing certain account information without use of a password to authenticate the customer.

What information is covered?

The FCC rules govern information known as Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI). CPNI includes information about the telephone services to which you subscribe and information contained in your Astound bill. Under these rules Astound will no longer be able to provide certain information regarding your telephone services to you online or when you call us, unless you have established a password for your account. In addition, federal law protects the privacy of cable subscriber information, generally requiring that Astound not disclose personally identifiable information to third parties without your permission and that Astound take steps to prevent unauthorized access to such information.

Can I opt out of this requirement?

In order for us to provide you with customer service over the phone and online, a password will be required. We will need you to provide the appropriate password in order to authenticate you as the account owner, before providing information to you online or over the phone.

It is stated I may choose to use a special character in my password. What is a special character?

You may select one of the characters listed below as a part of your password:

! @ # $ % ^ & *

What actions can I take on my account if I don’t know the password?

The transactions you can complete online or that an agent can complete for you without a password will be very limited and will center mainly on technical issues. We strongly recommend you establish a password at your earliest convenience in order to allow us to provide the best possible customer service.

What happens if I don’t know my password?

If you forget your password, you will be prompted to answer your pre-established security questions or to provide the PIN displayed on your bill statement. If you are unable to provide the answer, there are a few options we can utilize:

• We can send your PIN to your address of record.
• We can call you back at the phone number listed on the account (sorry, we cannot make special arrangements to call you at a certain time – we must be able to call you back immediately.)
• We can send an email to you at an e-mail address that has been on file with us for at least 30 days
• You can go to a local office and show your government-issued photo id, such as a driver’s license, as proof of being an account owner

Do I need to keep my uniquely assigned PIN number once I have established a password?

We strongly recommend you keep the letter with your unique PIN in a secure but easily accessible location, as your PIN authenticates you as the owner of your Astound account. Your PIN will also be printed on your bill statement.

Where can I get more information on this and whom can I complain to:

The FCC, which is responsible for enforcement of the new password rule, provides additional information regarding the CPNI regulations on its website, at: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/phoneaboutyou.html. Or you can call the FCC at 1-888-225-5322.