FCC fines Amp’d $100,000

The Federal Communications Commission levied separate $100,000 fines against Amp’d Mobile Inc. and two other cellular carriers for not complying with guidelines for protecting confidential subscriber information.
Amp’d, Easterbrooke Cellular Corp. and CTC Communications Corp. can challenge the FCC fines, presenting evidence that could persuade the agency to reduce or erase the penalty.
In all three cases, the FCC did not find that phone data privacy of any customer was breached. Rather, the FCC said the three carriers failed to respond adequately to commission requests for compliance certificates for the past five years.
Congress last year criminalized the practice of “pretexting” whereby data brokers and individuals impersonate subscribers to gain access to subscribers” phone records. The FCC and lawmakers want wireless and wireline telecom carriers to take additional steps to safeguard subscribers’ phone-calling data. The cellular industry opposes additional legislation, and has urged the FCC to avoid overkill in crafting rules.