[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 197 (Friday, October 15, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57390-57404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22099]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 52 and 64

[WC Docket No. 21-341; FCC 21-102; FR ID 52298]


SIM Swapping and Port-Out Fraud

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM) that focuses on putting an end to two methods used by 
bad actors to take control of consumers' cell phone accounts and wreak 
havoc on people's financial and digital lives without ever gaining 
physical control of a consumer's phone. In the first type of scam, 
known as ``subscriber identity module swapping'' or ``SIM swapping,'' a 
bad actor convinces a victim's wireless carrier to transfer the 
victim's service from the victim's cell phone to a cell phone in the 
bad actor's possession. In the second method, known as ``port-out 
fraud,'' the bad actor, posing as the victim, opens an account with a 
carrier other than the victim's current carrier. The bad actor then 
arranges for the victim's phone number to be transferred to (or 
``ported out'') to the account with the new carrier controlled by the 
bad actor. This NPRM takes aim at these scams by proposing to amend the 
Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) Customer Proprietary 
Network Information (CPNI) and local number portability (LNP) rules to 
require carriers to adopt secure methods of authenticating a customer 
before redirecting a customer's phone number to a new device or 
carrier. The NPRM also proposes to require providers to immediately 
notify customers whenever a SIM change or port request is made on 
customers' accounts, and seeks comment on other ways to protect 
consumers from SIM swapping and port-out fraud.

DATES: Comments are due on or before November 15, 2021, and reply 
comments are due on or before

[[Page 57391]]

December 14, 2021. Written comments on the Paperwork Reduction Act 
proposed information collection requirements must be submitted by the 
public and other interested parties on or before December 14, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by WC Docket No. 21-341 by 
any of the following methods:
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the internet by accessing ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/.
     Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and one copy of each filing.
    Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by first-
class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be 
addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, 
Federal Communications Commission.
     Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, 
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.
     U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority 
mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
     Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the 
Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings. 
This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety 
of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. See FCC 
Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window and Change in Hand-
Delivery Policy, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 2788 (2020). https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy.
    People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), 202-
418-0432 (TTY).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wireline Competition Bureau, 
Competition Policy Division, Melissa Kirkel, at (202) 418-7958, 
[email protected]. For additional information concerning the 
Paperwork Reduction Act information collection requirements contained 
in this document, send an email to [email protected] or contact Nicole 
Ongele, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in WC Docket No. 21-341, adopted and 
released on September 30, 2021. The full text of the document is 
available on the Commission's website at https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-proposes-rules-prevent-sim-swapping-and-port-out-fraud. To request 
materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (e.g., 
braille, large print, electronic files, audio format, etc.), send an 
email to [email protected] or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs 
Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Initial Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis

    This document contains proposed information collection 
requirements. The Commission, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public to comment on the 
information collection requirements contained in this document, as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. 
Public and agency comments are due December 14, 2021.
    Comments should address: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimates; (c) 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on the respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) 
way to further reduce the information collection burden on small 
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. In addition, pursuant 
to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, 
see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4), we seek specific comment on how we might 
further reduce the information collection burden for small business 
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

Synopsis

I. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    1. We believe that our CPNI and number porting rules are ripe for 
updates that could help prevent SIM swapping and port-out fraud. In 
this NPRM, we propose to prohibit wireless carriers from effectuating a 
SIM swap unless the carrier uses a secure method of authenticating its 
customer. We also propose to amend our CPNI rules to require wireless 
carriers to develop procedures for responding to failed authentication 
attempts and to notify customers immediately of any requests for SIM 
changes. We also seek comment on whether we should impose customer 
service, training, and transparency requirements specifically focused 
on preventing SIM swap fraud. We likewise propose to amend our number 
porting rules to combat port-out fraud while continuing to encourage 
robust competition through efficient number porting. Finally, we 
consider whether we should adopt any other changes to our rules to 
address SIM swap and port-out fraud, including the difficulties 
encountered by victims of these schemes. We seek comment on our 
proposals and invite input from stakeholders on how to best tailor the 
rules to combat this growing, pernicious fraudulent activity.

A. Strengthening the Commission's CPNI Rules To Protect Consumers

    2. Customer Authentication Requirements for SIM Change Requests. To 
reduce the incidence of SIM swap fraud, we propose to prohibit carriers 
from effectuating a SIM swap unless the carrier uses a secure method of 
authenticating its customer, and to define ``SIM'' for purposes of 
these rules as a physical or virtual card contained with a device that 
stores unique information that can be identified to a specific mobile 
network. As used in our proposed rules, the term ``carrier'' includes 
``any officer, agent, or other person acting for or employed by any 
common carrier or user, acting within the scope of his employment.'' We 
seek comment on these proposals. Consistent with the recommendations 
made last year by the Princeton Research team that studied SIM 
swapping, we propose that use of a pre-established password; a one-time 
passcode sent via text message to the account phone number or a pre-
registered backup number; a one-time passcode sent via email to the 
email address associated with the account; or a passcode sent using a 
voice call to the account phone number or a preregistered back-up 
telephone number would each constitute a secure method of 
authenticating a customer prior to a SIM change. We seek comment on 
this proposal and whether it will serve as an effective deterrent to 
SIM swapping fraud. As used here, a ``pre-established password'' is a 
password chosen by the customer for future use to authenticate a 
customer for access to account information or to make account changes.
    3. Are each of these authentication methods secure? Since 2016, the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recognized

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known risks associated with SMS-based authentication, distinguishing 
``SMS-based authentication from other out-of-band authentications 
methods due to heightened security risks including `SIM change.' '' In 
addition, recent media reports call into question the security of using 
text messages for authentication purposes. For example, a recent 
investigation found that SMS-based text messages could be easily 
intercepted and re-routed using a low-cost, online marketing service 
that helps businesses do SMS marketing and mass messaging. As with SIM 
swap fraud, once the hacker was able to re-route a target's text 
messages, the hacker was also able to access other accounts associated 
with that phone number. Wireless carriers reportedly have mitigated the 
security vulnerability uncovered in this investigation. Has this 
vulnerability has been fixed so that it is no longer a threat to 
customers of any carrier? What rules could we adopt to ensure that 
authentication using text messages is secure and effective to protect 
consumers from SIM swap fraud? Or alternatively, should we prohibit 
carriers from using text messaging, or specifically SMS text messaging, 
to authenticate customers requesting SIM swaps? What steps could we 
take to prevent a customer's text messages from being forwarded without 
authorization? Should we, for example, require companies offering the 
text forwarding services to call the customer whose texts will be 
forwarded to confirm consent prior to forwarding? If so, what authority 
may we rely upon to adopt such a rule? Are such methods effective? What 
other steps should we take to help secure customers' accounts and text 
messages?
    4. All of the methods of authentication that we propose to include 
in the requirement to authenticate a wireless customer before allowing 
for a SIM swap are familiar ones, already used by consumers and 
companies in various other circumstances. Based on stakeholder 
experience with these methods of authentication, how burdensome would 
our proposed authentication requirement be on customers making 
legitimate SIM change requests? Would they pose particular challenges 
to customers whose phone associated with their account has been lost, 
stolen, or destroyed, or customers who are not comfortable with 
technology, or to customers with disabilities? Should customers be able 
to opt-in or opt-out of certain methods of authentication?
    5. We also invite comment on whether there are other secure methods 
of authentication that we should allow carriers to use to authenticate 
their customers in advance of effectuating a SIM change. What practices 
and safeguards do carriers currently employ to authenticate customers 
when SIM change requests are made? Have carriers implemented any 
processes and protections to address SIM swap fraud specifically? If 
so, have those practices been effective? Do carriers use multi-factor 
authentication and has it been effective in preventing SIM swap fraud? 
If so, should we adopt a multi-factor authentication requirement to 
prevent SIM swap fraud? If we do require multi-factor authentication, 
is texting sufficiently secure to permit it as an authentication method 
for use in multi-factor authentication? Are there emerging technologies 
or authentication methods in development that could potentially be 
implemented to protect customers from SIM swap fraud? Are there other 
security measures incorporated into handsets or operating systems that 
can be used to authenticate or otherwise prevent SIM swap fraud? Could 
blockchain technologies that store data in a decentralized manner offer 
additional security when authenticating customers requesting SIM 
changes? Are there limitations in these technologies, such as security, 
storage, scalability, and cost that could place a burden on providers 
and manufacturers of SIMs? What privacy risks are associated with any 
of these methods or others suggested by commenters? How effective would 
any of these methods be at deterring SIM swap fraud? As with the 
methods we have proposed, what challenges do other secure methods of 
authentication pose to customers and how burdensome would they be on 
customers making legitimate SIM change requests, particularly those 
customers who are no longer in possession of their cell phone because 
it was lost, stolen, or destroyed, or customers who are not comfortable 
with technology, or customers with disabilities? What are the costs to 
carriers for any alternative secure authentication methods?
    6. If we adopt a specific set of authentication practices that 
carriers must employ before effectuating a SIM change, how can we 
account for changes in technology, recognizing that some of these 
methods may become hackable over time, while additional secure methods 
of authentication will likely be developed over time? We seek comment 
on whether instead of requiring specific methods of authentication, we 
should adopt a flexible standard requiring heightened authentication 
measures for SIM swap requests. The Commission has previously found 
that ``techniques for fraud vary and tend to become more sophisticated 
over time'' and that carriers ``need leeway to engage emerging 
threats.'' The Commission has allowed carriers to determine which 
specific measures will best enable them to ensure compliance with the 
requirement that carriers take reasonable measures to discover and 
protect against fraudulent activity. We observe that to the extent 
carriers have already implemented or are considering implementing 
additional protections against SIM swap fraud, we want to ensure that 
any rules we adopt do not inhibit carriers from using and developing 
creative and technical solutions to prevent SIM swap fraud or impose 
unnecessary costs. Would codifying a limited set of methods for 
authenticating customers in advance of approving SIM swapping requests 
reduce carriers' flexibility to design effective measures and, in 
effect, reduce their ability to take aggressive actions to detect and 
prevent fraudulent practices as they evolve? Could requiring specific 
methods of authentication provide a ``roadmap'' to bad actors? What 
costs would such requirements impose on carriers, particularly smaller 
carriers?
    7. To that end, we seek comment whether we should instead require 
carriers to comply with the NIST Digital Identity Guidelines, which are 
updated in response to changes in technology, in lieu of other 
proposals. The NIST Digital Identity Guidelines are a set of guidelines 
that provide technical requirements for federal agencies ``implementing 
digital identity services,'' focusing on authentication. Would 
requiring carriers to adopt and comply with these guidelines ``future 
proof'' authentication methods? Would these guidelines effectively 
protect consumers in the context of SIM swap fraud? Are these 
guidelines generally applicable in the telecommunications context, and 
do the guidelines provide sufficient flexibility to carriers? Would 
requiring carriers to comply with the guidelines pose any difficulties 
for smaller providers, and would the authentication methods recommended 
in the guidelines pose any particular challenges to customers? We also 
seek comment on whether there are other definitive government sources 
that we could consider adopting as appropriate authentication methods.
    8. We also seek comment on what would be an appropriate 
implementation period for wireless carriers to implement any changes to 
their customer authentication processes. Because of the serious harms 
associated with SIM swap fraud, we believe that a

[[Page 57393]]

speedy implementation is appropriate. Are there any barriers to a short 
implementation timeline and, if so, what are they? What could we do to 
eliminate or reduce potential obstacles? Will smaller wireless carriers 
need additional time to implement the requirements we propose?
    9. Are there other ways we can strengthen the Commission's customer 
authentication rules to better protect customers from SIM swap fraud? 
For example, for online access to CPNI, our rules require a carrier to 
authenticate a customer ``without the use of readily available 
biographical information[ ] or account information.'' Given evidence of 
the ease with which bad actors can create recent payment or call detail 
information, we propose to make clear that carriers cannot rely on such 
information to authenticate customers for online access to CPNI. We 
invite comment on that proposal.
    10. We also seek comment on whether there are other methods of 
authentication that carriers should be allowed to implement to prevent 
SIM fraud that originates in retail locations. Our rules currently 
allow carriers to disclose CPNI to a customer at a carrier's retail 
location if the customer presents a valid photo ID. We seek comment on 
whether a government-issued ID alone is sufficient for in-person 
authentication. How prevalent is in-person fraud using fake IDs as a 
source of SIM swap fraud? What role can, and should, retail stores play 
in authentication, particularly in situations where customers do not 
have access to technology or are not tech savvy? Should customer 
authentication requirements be the same for SIM changes initiated by 
telephone, online, or in store?
    11. We also invite comment on whether we should amend our rule on 
passwords and back-up authentication methods for lost or forgotten 
passwords. Our rules require a carrier to authenticate the customer 
without the use of readily available biographical information or 
account information to establish the password. We permit carriers to 
create a back-up customer authentication method in the event of a lost 
or forgotten password, but such back-up customer authentication method 
may not prompt the customer for readily available biographical 
information or account information. Should we make changes to this 
requirement? If so, what changes are needed? Do the existing rules 
create vulnerabilities that should be addressed? Should these 
requirements be updated to reflect any changes in technology? How would 
they enhance the protections already provided to consumer passwords?
    12. Response to Failed Authentication Attempts. We propose to 
require wireless carriers to develop procedures for responding to 
failed authentication attempts, and we seek comment on this proposal. 
We seek comment on what processes carriers can implement to prevent bad 
actors from attempting multiple authentication methods while at the 
same time ensuring that protections do not negatively impact legitimate 
customer requests. For example, would a requirement that SIM swaps be 
delayed for 24 hours in the case of multiple failed authentication 
attempts while notifying the customer via text message and/or email, be 
effective at protecting customers from fraudulent SIM swaps? If we 
adopt such a rule, should we specify the number of attempts, and if so, 
how many attempts should trigger the 24-hour delay? How burdensome 
would this be for customers, and what costs would this impose on 
carriers? How long would it take carriers to develop and implement 
procedures for responding to failed authentication attempts? Would such 
a requirement have anti-competitive effects?
    13. Customer Notification of SIM Change Requests. As part of our 
effort to protect consumers from fraudulent SIM swapping, we propose to 
require wireless providers to notify customers immediately of any 
requests for SIM changes. We seek comment on this proposal. Is it 
unnecessary if we adopt specific heightened authentication requirements 
prior to providing a SIM swap? Or will it provide a worthwhile second 
line of protection against fraudulent SIM swaps?
    14. Our CPNI rules currently require carriers to notify customers 
immediately whenever a password, customer response to a back-up means 
of authentication for lost or forgotten passwords, online account, or 
address of record is created or changed. This notification may be 
through a carrier-originated voicemail or text message to the telephone 
number of record, or by mail to the address of record, and must not 
reveal the changed information or be sent to the new account 
information. As the Commission found with respect to these other types 
of account changes, we believe that notification of SIM change requests 
could be an important tool for customers to monitor their account's 
security, and could help protect customers from bad actors ``that might 
otherwise manage to circumvent [ ]authentication protections'' and 
enable customers ``to take appropriate action in the event'' of 
fraudulent activity. Do commenters agree?
    15. We also seek comment on how this notification should be 
provided to customers. We believe that the verification methods 
provided in our rules for other types of account changes may be 
insufficient to protect customers from SIM swap fraud because in these 
situations, the bad actor has taken control of the customer's account 
and any verification communications sent after the transfer by 
voicemail or text may be directed to the bad actor rather than to the 
victim. Moreover, mail to the address of record will likely be too slow 
to stop the ongoing fraud that may involve financial accounts, social 
media profiles, and other services. We therefore propose to amend our 
rules to include notification requirements that would more effectively 
alert customers to SIM fraud on their accounts and seek comment on what 
types of notification would be most effective in alerting customers to 
SIM swap fraud in progress. Would email notification be more effective? 
Should we retain the option to send such notifications by mail even 
though this method involves significant delay? Should carriers be 
required to give customers the option of listing a personal contact 
(e.g., a spouse or family member) and then inform that contact that the 
customer is requesting a SIM swap? What other methods of communication 
could be used to get timely notification to customers, particularly 
those customers who are no longer in possession of their device because 
it has been lost or stolen?
    16. In addition to immediate customer notification of requests for 
SIM swaps, we seek comment on requiring up to a 24-hour delay (or other 
period of time) for SIM swap requests while notifying the customer via 
text message, email, through the carrier's app, or other push 
notification and requesting verification of the request. Once a 
customer verifies the SIM change request either via text, the carrier's 
app (if the device is in the customer's possession), an email response, 
or the customer's online account, the carrier would be free to process 
the SIM change. If we adopt heightened authentication requirements, is 
a temporary delay in transferring the account to a new SIM necessary to 
ensure sufficient time for a customer to receive the notification of 
activity on the account and take action if the customer has not 
initiated the changes? Would this requirement be effective in 
preventing SIM swap fraud? How burdensome would such a delay be for 
customers? Are there safety implications for customers who legitimately 
need a new SIM? Could such a delay prevent

[[Page 57394]]

the customer from completing 911 calls during the waiting period? What 
costs would this requirement impose on carriers, and how long would it 
take carriers to develop, test, and implement such a process? Would 
such a requirement be anti-competitive? Should we consider other 
approaches to customer notifications of SIM transfers?
    17. Customer Service, Training, and Transparency. Additionally, we 
seek comment on whether we should impose customer service, training, 
and/or transparency requirements specifically focused on preventing SIM 
swap fraud. For example, should we require carriers to modify customer 
record systems so that customer service representatives are unable to 
access CPNI until after the customer has been properly authenticated? 
Would this approach be effective in preventing customer service 
representatives from assisting with authentication through the use of 
leading questions or other more nefarious employee involvement in SIM 
swap fraud? Would a requirement for record-keeping of the 
authentication method used for each customer deter employee involvement 
in SIM swapping fraud? Are there ways to avoid employee malfeasance, 
such as requiring two employees to sign off on every SIM change? What 
burdens would be associated with these possible requirements? Anecdotal 
evidence suggests that, in some cases, customer service representatives 
are not trained on procedures to deal with customers who have been 
victims of SIM swap fraud, and as a result, customers who are already 
victims have difficulty getting help from their carriers. To address 
this concern, we seek comment on whether we should impose training 
requirements for customer service representatives to address SIM swap 
fraud attempts, complaints, and remediation. What costs would these 
measures impose on carriers? Is there a way to reduce the burdens of 
these proposals while still achieving the policy aims? Would these 
proposals reduce SIM swap fraud or otherwise impact the customer 
experience? How long would it take wireless carriers to implement any 
new training requirements? Are there alternative approaches that might 
be more effective or efficient?
    18. We also seek comment on whether we should require wireless 
providers to offer customers the option to disable SIM changes 
requested by telephone and/or online access (i.e., account freezes or 
locks). We believe that offering these protections would impose minimal 
burdens on carriers while offering significant protection to customers. 
Do commenters agree? Whether or not we require wireless providers to 
offer such services, we also seek comment on whether we should require 
carriers to provide a transparent, easy-to-understand, yearly notice to 
customers of the availability of any account protection mechanisms the 
carrier offers (e.g., SIM transfer freeze, port request freezes, PINs, 
etc.). What costs would such notification requirements impose on 
carriers? We believe that any customer notifications should be brief, 
use easy-to-understand language, and be delivered in a manner that is 
least burdensome to customers. We seek comment on what form such 
notifications could take and how they could be delivered to customers 
to provide meaningful notice of such services while imposing minimal 
burden on carriers. Do we need to prescribe a method or methods for 
customers to unfreeze or unlock their accounts? What methods would be 
sufficiently secure? Would an unfreeze or unlock be immediate or should 
there be a waiting period before an unlocked account can be 
transferred?
    19. Accounts with Multiple Lines. We seek comment on how these 
proposed CPNI rule changes impact wireless accounts with multiple 
lines, such as shared or family accounts. If we require the customer to 
provide a one-time passcode for the carrier to execute a SIM change, 
should each line on the shared or family account have its own passcode? 
If the account owner elects to freeze the account to protect against 
unauthorized changes, how can we ensure that another member of the 
shared or family account remains able to port-out his or her number? 
Should the freeze option apply only to individual lines and not to 
entire accounts? Do our proposed rules impact these types of accounts 
with multiple lines in any other ways?
    20. Remediation of SIM Swap Fraud. We seek comment on how we can 
enable timely resolution of SIM swap fraud to minimize financial and 
other damage to customers who are victims of SIM swap fraud. How can we 
encourage and/or ensure that carriers quickly resolve complaints in 
cases of SIM swap fraud? Should we require carriers to respond to 
customers and offer redress within a certain time frame? What would be 
the costs to carriers, and what are the costs to customers if we do not 
do so? We seek comment on the methods wireless carriers have 
established to help victims of SIM swap fraud halt an unauthorized SIM 
swap request or to recover their phone numbers from bad actors.
    21. Carriers' Duty to Protect CPNI. We also seek comment on 
codifying the Commission's expectation that carriers must take 
affirmative measures to discover and protect against fraudulent 
activity beyond the measures specifically dictated by our rules and 
that additional measures (e.g., self-monitoring) are required to comply 
with section 222's mandate to protect the confidentiality of customer 
information. In the 2007 CPNI Order, the Commission codified the 
requirement that carriers take reasonable measures to discover and 
protect against unauthorized access to CPNI, and specified that 
adoption of the rules in that Order does not relieve carriers of their 
fundamental statutory duty to remain vigilant in their protection of 
CPNI, nor does it insulate them from enforcement action for 
unauthorized disclosure of CPNI. The Commission allowed carriers 
flexibility in how they would satisfy their statutory obligations but 
expressed an expectation that carriers would take affirmative measures 
to discover and protect against fraudulent activities beyond what is 
expressly required by the Commission's rules. We seek comment on 
whether codifying a requirement to take affirmative measures to 
discover and protect against fraudulent activities would lead to more 
effective measures to detect and prevent SIM swap fraud. Has the 
expectation expressed in 2007 been effective? Would the additional 
threat of enforcement of a codified rule create additional incentives 
for carriers to take more aggressive action to detect and prevent 
fraudulent access to CPNI? We seek comment on whether there are 
additional requirements needed to ensure that carriers comply with 
their legal obligations under section 222 to detect and prevent SIM 
swap fraud.
    22. Tracking the Effectiveness of Authentication Measures. We seek 
comment on what data carriers collect about SIM swap fraud, and whether 
we should require that carriers track data regarding SIM swap 
complaints to measure the effectiveness of their customer 
authentication and account protection measures. What would be the 
burdens of requiring wireless carriers to internally track customer SIM 
swap complaints? Do wireless carriers already report this information 
to the U.S. Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 
pursuant to the Commission's rules? We also seek comment on whether we 
should modify our breach reporting rules to require wireless carriers 
to report SIM swap and port-out fraud to the Commission, and what the 
costs would be to carriers of

[[Page 57395]]

doing so, including the timeframe for implementing such a requirement. 
Should we require carriers to inform the Commission of the 
authentication measures that they have in place and when those measures 
change? Would requiring carriers to update the Commission about changes 
to authentication measures, along with the frequency of customer SIM 
swap complaints, be sufficient to enable the Commission to evaluate the 
efficacy of a carrier's authentication measures, or should the 
Commission require carriers to provide additional information? We also 
seek comment on how we should ensure carrier compliance with any 
proposed obligations that we adopt. For example, should we specifically 
direct the Commission's Enforcement Bureau, or another Bureau or 
Office, to conduct compliance audits? Are there other audits or models 
that we should use as guidelines to ensure compliance? We seek comment 
on the best method to enforce our proposals.
    23. Applicability of Customer Authentication Measures. We seek 
comment on whether any new or revised customer authentication measures 
we adopt should apply only to wireless carriers and only with respect 
to SIM swap requests, or whether such expanded authentication 
requirements would offer benefits for all purposes and with respect to 
all providers covered by our CPNI rules. Is there anything unique about 
VoLTE service or the upcoming Voice over New Radio (VoNR) that we need 
to consider? Further, as the nation's networks migrate from 2G and 3G 
to 4G and 5G, are there particular technical features that should be 
taken into consideration regarding authentication requirements? Is the 
type of phone number takeover that occurs through SIM swap fraud only 
relevant to mobile phone numbers (due to SIM swaps and text message-
based text authentication)? Are there also concerns with respect to 
account takeovers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 
services, one-way VoIP services, and landline telephone services? Even 
if the same concerns are not present (or as strongly present), should 
we apply any stronger authentication requirements to all providers to 
protect customers' privacy and to provide uniform rules across all 
providers? If so, under what legal authority could we extend the 
proposed authentication requirements to services other than wireless? 
Is there value to uniformity with other categories of providers? Would 
costs imposed on these carriers outweigh the limited benefit of these 
requirements related to non-wireless carriers? Are there any other 
rules that would need to be aligned for consistency if we make changes 
to the CPNI rules to address SIM swap fraud? In addition, if limited to 
wireless providers only, we believe that any new rules we adopt should 
apply to all providers of wireless services, including resellers. Do 
commenters agree?
    24. We also seek comment on whether any new rules should apply only 
to certain wireless services, such as pre-paid services. Is SIM swap 
fraud limited to, or more prevalent with, pre-paid or post-paid 
wireless accounts? Do wireless resellers (many of which offer pre-paid 
services) encounter this type of fraud more or less often than 
facilities-based carriers? We invite comment on whether some or all 
changes discussed here should apply to all mobile accounts or whether 
certain changes should be limited to pre-paid or post-paid accounts 
only. We note that pre-paid plans generally do not require credit 
checks and therefore subscribers to prepaid plans may be more low-
income and economically vulnerable individuals. Would such requirements 
impose disproportionate burdens on these customers?
    25. We also seek comment on the scope of any changes that we may 
make to the CPNI rules to address SIM swap fraud. Specifically, should 
any new rules be narrowly tailored to deal only with SIM swap fraud, or 
should they be broader to ensure that they cover the evolving state of 
fraud on wireless customers? Outside of the account takeover context, 
are there benefits to providing expanded authentication requirements 
before providing access to CPNI to someone claiming to be a carrier's 
customer? We seek comment on whether any heightened authentication 
measures required (or prohibited) should apply for access to all CPNI, 
or only in cases where SIM change requests are being made.
    26. In addition, we seek comment on the impact that our proposed 
rules could have on smaller carriers. Would the proposed requirements 
impose additional burdens on smaller carriers? Would they face 
different costs than larger carriers in implementing the new 
requirements, if adopted? Would smaller carriers need more time to 
comply with new authentication rules? Do they face other obstacles that 
we have not considered here?
    27. We believe that we have authority to adopt the proposed rules 
discussed in this section pursuant to our authority under sections 4, 
201, 222, 303, and 332 of the Act, and we seek comment on this 
conclusion. Do we have additional sources of authority on which we may 
rely here? To the extent that we have not already done so, we also 
solicit input on the relative costs and benefits of our proposals to 
amend the CPNI rules to address SIM swap fraud. How many legitimate SIM 
swap requests do carriers receive yearly, and what are customers' most 
common reasons for requesting a legitimate SIM swap? Is there any 
evidence concerning the degree to which authentication measures limit 
legitimate SIM swaps, or the degree to which they successfully prevent 
fraud? We ask commenters for input on how any of these proposals could 
positively or negatively affect the customer experience and whether 
they foresee any unintended consequences from the changes we propose 
here.

B. Strengthening the Commission's Number Porting Rules To Protect 
Consumers

    28. We next seek comment on proposals to strengthen our number 
porting rules to protect customers from unauthorized ports and port-out 
fraud. One reason that number porting can be used to subvert two-factor 
authentication may be the relative ease with which carriers fulfill 
port order requests from other carriers. We note that though the Act 
makes it unlawful for any telecommunications carrier to ``submit or 
execute a change in a subscriber's selection of a provider of telephone 
exchange service . . . except in accordance with such verification 
procedures as the Commission shall prescribe,'' the Commission's 
slamming rules implementing this provision do not currently apply to 
wireless carriers. As a result, wireless subscribers are not afforded 
the same protections as wireline customers when their service is 
switched to another carrier without their authorization. The Commission 
has, in the past, been concerned that adding ``additional steps for the 
customer would also add a layer of frustration and complexity to the 
number porting process, with anticompetitive effects.'' While the 
Commission remains committed to ``facilitat[ing] greater competition 
among telephony providers by allowing customers to respond to price and 
service changes . . . , '' we seek comment below on what additional 
measures we can adopt to protect customers from port-out fraud.
    29. Notification of Wireless Port Requests and Customer 
Authentication Processes. We propose to require wireless carriers to 
provide notification to customers through text message or other push 
notification to the customer's device whenever a port-out request is

[[Page 57396]]

made to ensure that customers may take action in the event of an 
unauthorized port request, and seek comment on our proposal. For 
example, Verizon sends its customers a text message letting the 
customer know that a port-out request has been initiated. When the 
request is completed, Verizon will send the customer an email stating 
that the port to the new service was successful. AT&T may also ``send 
customers a text message to help protect them from illegal porting. 
This notification will not prevent or delay the customer's request. It 
just adds a simple step to better protect against fraud.'' We believe 
that requiring customer notice of port requests could be a minimally 
intrusive protective measure that could be automated to minimize delays 
while providing significant protections for customers. Do commenters 
agree? Do other carriers currently notify their customers of port-out 
requests? What would be the costs for carriers to implement such a 
requirement, particularly for smaller carriers? How much time would 
carriers need to implement such a requirement? Would requiring 
notification of port requests to customers harm competition? Is there a 
particular method of notification that is most effective? For this and 
other potential rules that may require text messages and/or push 
notifications, should we define the scope of permissible text messages 
or other push notifications and, if so, what definition or definitions 
should we use?
    30. We also seek comment on whether a port request notification 
requirement is sufficient to protect customers from port-out fraud, or 
whether we should also require customer verification or acknowledgement 
of the text message or push notification through a simple Yes/No 
response mechanism. Would a customer port verification requirement 
unreasonably hinder the porting process, and could it be used 
anticompetitively by carriers? Should we require that customers respond 
within a certain amount of time before the carrier can execute the 
port? We recognize that some customers may not frequently check their 
text messages or push notifications, which could lead to a delay if we 
require the customer to verify the port. Should we require carriers to 
send follow-up messages to the customer via email or a phone call? What 
other processes have wireless carriers adopted to protect customers 
from port-out fraud, and have they been effective in reducing port-out 
fraud?
    31. As discussed above, the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology and recent media reports call into question the security of 
using text messages for authentication purposes. Is notification and/or 
verification of a port request via text message a secure means of 
authenticating the validity of a customer's wireless port request? 
Should we instead require an automated notification call and 
verification response through a voice call or other method, such as 
email or carrier app? What methods would ensure that customers who have 
voice-and-text-only service, or whose devices are incapable of 
accessing a carrier's app or website, are not hindered in their porting 
choices? Are there any barriers for smaller carriers implementing any 
of these changes to protect customers' accounts from port-out fraud?
    32. We seek comment whether we should require customers' existing 
wireless carriers to authenticate a customer's wireless port request 
through means other than the fields used to validate simple port 
requests. Are the benefits of potentially protecting customers from 
port-out fraud outweighed by the potential harms to competition from 
delaying or impeding customers' valid wireless number port requests? We 
seek comment on the processes that wireless carriers, including MVNO 
providers, resellers, and smaller carriers, currently use to 
authenticate customer port-out requests, and whether those methods are 
effective in preventing port-out fraud. According to CTIA, ``[w]ireless 
providers are constantly improving internal processes to stay ahead of 
. . . bad actors, while protecting the rights of legitimate customers 
to transfer their phone number to a new device or wireless provider,'' 
including ``[s]ending one-time passcodes via text message or email to 
the account phone number or the email associated with the account when 
changes are requested . . . .'' Verizon will not allow its customers to 
transfer their number to a different carrier unless that customer first 
requests a Number Transfer Pin. When a Verizon customer requests a port 
from its new service provider, the customer must present the Verizon 
account number and Number Transfer Pin in order to authenticate the 
request. AT&T customers can create a unique passcode that in most cases 
the customer is required to provide ``before any significant changes 
can be made including porting through another carrier,'' and starting 
September 30, 2021, will require customers to request a Number Transfer 
PIN to transfer their number to another service provider, which will 
replace the account passcode customers currently use. T-Mobile assigns 
each of its customer accounts a 6-15 digit PIN that must be provided 
whenever an individual requests to port-out the phone number associated 
with that account. Have such port-out PINs been effective at protecting 
customers from port-out fraud? Have carriers noticed any effect from 
adopting port-out PINs or other additional security measures on their 
customers' likelihood of switching carriers? Is there any evidence 
indicating how security measures affect porting frequency? Should we 
require wireless carriers to authenticate customers for wireless port 
requests under the same standard as we require carriers to authenticate 
customers for SIM change requests, recognizing that in the porting 
context, the Act sets forth competing goals of protecting customer 
information and promoting competition through local number porting? 
What would be the benefits and costs of doing so?
    33. We seek comment on any other technical or innovative solutions 
for customer authentication for port requests that carriers could 
implement to reduce port-out fraud. For example, are there technologies 
developed out of the Mobile Authentication task force, a collaboration 
among the three major U.S. wireless carriers, that could be easily 
implemented into the port authentication process? ZenKey, which was 
developed under the auspices of the Mobile Authentication task force, 
``collects and shares device and account data with your wireless 
carrier . . . [to] easily and more securely authenticate, sign up, and 
sign in,'' and ``uses multi-factor authentication, including unique 
network signals, to not only verify a user's device but also allow 
verification that the user is who they say they are.'' Could carriers 
use similar technology to authenticate wireless customer port requests? 
What would be the costs of doing so and what are the challenges to 
implementation, including customer privacy and consent implications? 
What other technologies exist that carriers could use to quickly and 
effectively authenticate wireless port requests to reduce port-out 
fraud? As the nation's networks migrate from 2G and 3G to 4G and 5G, 
are there particular technical features that should be taken into 
consideration for protecting customers from port-out fraud?
    34. We seek comment on whether we should require all carriers to 
implement any of the additional authentication processes for wireless 
port requests some providers have already developed and implemented. Is 
there value in uniformity? Would it reduce consumer confusion if we 
mandate the same authentication requirements on all wireless port-out 
requests regardless of

[[Page 57397]]

the providers involved? Would that potential reduction in consumer 
confusion outweigh the benefits of enabling carriers to create 
innovative procedures to protect against port-out fraud attempts as 
they evolve? Would requiring specific additional customer 
authentication procedures, as opposed to simply making it clear that 
carriers are responsible for preventing port-out fraud, provide a 
roadmap to bad actors? Should we instead require carriers to develop 
heightened customer authentication procedures like those already 
initiated by the three nationwide wireless carriers, but provide 
flexibility to the individual carriers to create and employ what works 
best for their service? Should we require different authentication 
procedures for pre-paid wireless account port-out requests than we do 
for post-paid wireless account port-out requests? We also seek comment 
on what implementation period the wireless industry would need to 
implement any additional validation requirements and processes we 
adopt.
    35. We seek comment on how additional port authentication 
requirements would affect the timing of simple wireless-to-wireless 
ports. Would allowing additional authentication procedures cause 
unreasonable delay to the wireless porting process or cause harm to 
competition? In adopting any additional customer authentication 
requirements, we want to ensure that we leave carriers in a position to 
innovate and address new problems as they arise. Relatedly, we seek 
comment on whether it is necessary to codify a simple wireless-to-
wireless porting interval to ensure that any new port authentication 
requirements do not lead to delay in the current porting process. The 
wireless industry has voluntarily established an industry standard of 
two and one-half hours for simple wireless-to-wireless ports. Should we 
codify this interval in our rules?
    36. Port-Freeze Offerings. We propose to require all wireless 
providers, including resellers, to offer customers the option to place 
a ``port-freeze'' on their accounts at no cost to the customer to help 
deter port-out fraud. We observe that our rules currently permit local 
exchange carriers (LECs) to offer their customers the ability to 
``prevent[ ] a change in a subscriber's preferred carrier selection 
unless the subscriber gives the carrier from whom the freeze was 
requested his or her express consent.'' Should we require wireless 
providers to offer a similar option, and would making this option 
available to wireless customers deter wireless port-out fraud? Verizon 
offers customers the option to lock their number, blocking all port-out 
requests unless the account owner turns off the Number Lock feature 
through the Verizon mobile app, on Verizon's website, or by calling 
customer service. Do other wireless carriers currently offer a similar 
feature? Has this feature, and others like it, been successful at 
deterring port-out fraud? What costs would offering this feature impose 
on carriers? How can we make sure that customers are easily notified of 
this feature? Would a one-time notice for existing customers, and 
notice at the time service is started, be effective at notifying 
customers? How often should carriers provide this notice to customers? 
What method would be least burdensome on carriers while also notifying 
all customers, including those that do not access their accounts 
through online services or carrier apps, of the availability of this 
feature? Local exchange carriers who offer their customers the 
``preferred carrier freeze'' option must follow specific requirements 
regarding the solicitation and imposition of this option. Should we 
extend similar requirements to wireless carriers? If we impose these 
requirements, would the benefits gained by deterring port-out fraud 
outweigh the costs of this measure? What happens when a customer locks 
his or her account but is unable to recall the information necessary to 
unlock their account? Should there be a back-up authentication method 
available? Are there other methods wireless carriers use to prevent 
unauthorized port requests that we should consider requiring?
    37. Wireless Port Validation Fields. We also propose to codify the 
types of information carriers must use to validate simple wireless-to-
wireless port requests. Pursuant to the Commission's 2007 LNP Four 
Fields Declaratory Ruling, the wireless industry agreed to use three 
fields of customer-provided information--telephone number, account 
number, and ZIP code--plus a passcode field (if customer-initiated) to 
validate requests for simple wireless-to-wireless ports. We propose to 
codify this requirement in our rules for simple wireless-to-wireless 
ports, just as we have codified field requirements for simple wireline 
and intermodal ports. We preliminarily believe that standardizing the 
fields necessary to complete a simple wireless-to-wireless port will 
allow for quicker and more efficient porting, and we seek comment on 
this view. We propose adopting the existing fields because we are 
cognizant that imposing new or different customer-required information 
fields could complicate the porting process, from both the carrier and 
customer perspectives, and we seek comment on this view. We seek 
comment whether codifying the existing fields used for validating 
simple wireless ports, in combination with immediate customer 
notification of port-requests and the offering and advertisement of 
port-freeze options as we propose, would help to protect customers from 
port-out fraud. Do such measures appropriately balance the competitive 
benefits of rapid porting with protecting customers' accounts from 
fraud?
    38. Are there additional fields of customer-provided information we 
should require for validation of wireless-to-wireless ports to minimize 
port-out fraud, while ensuring the continued rapid execution of valid 
port-out requests? If we require additional fields of customer-provided 
information for only wireless-to-wireless simple ports, will that cause 
unnecessary complications for the telecommunications industry as a 
whole? Will it impose additional costs on wireless carriers that would 
reduce competition in the telecommunications marketplace? We seek 
comment on whether requiring carriers to implement changes to the 
wireless port validation requirements would significantly impair the 
customer's ability to perform a legitimate port-out request. Would 
requiring carriers to implement additional customer-provided fields for 
wireless port requests stifle the ability of customers to switch 
carriers while retaining their phone number or keep customers locked 
into contracts with their current service providers? Would customers 
still be able to respond to price and service changes in a quick and 
efficient manner? Finally, we propose to make clear that any customer 
validation requirements apply to both facilities-based wireless 
carriers and resellers of wireless service and we seek comment on that 
proposal.
    39. We seek comment on whether we should require carriers to 
implement a customer-initiated passcode field for all wireless number 
port requests, or whether it should remain optional. While AT&T, 
Verizon, and T-Mobile offer this option, it is unclear if all customers 
are required to participate. What would be the burden on customers and 
carriers, particularly smaller carriers, were we to mandate passcode 
fields for wireless number port requests? Could it harm competition and 
cause customer frustration if a customer has either not set up a 
passcode or does not know how to set up a passcode? Should we require 
carriers to make a customer-

[[Page 57398]]

initiated passcode optional on an opt-out rather than opt-in basis? 
What steps could carriers take to make it least burdensome on customers 
to establish an account passcode for wireless number porting purposes? 
We also seek comment on how we can ensure that a customer can make a 
legitimate port request if he forgets his passcode.
    40. Remediating Port-Out Fraud. We seek comment on how we can 
ensure timely resolution of unauthorized port-out requests to minimize 
financial and other damage to customers who are victims of such fraud. 
What information do wireless carriers currently collect about port-out 
fraud? Are wireless carriers already tracking instances of customer 
complaints regarding this issue? Should we require that carriers use 
this information to measure the effectiveness of their customer 
authentication and account protection measures? How can we encourage 
and/or ensure that carriers coordinate and work together to quickly 
resolve complaints in cases of port-out fraud? Should we require 
carriers to respond to customers who allege they are victims of port-
out fraud and to offer redress to such customers within a certain time 
frame? What would be the costs to carriers, and what are the costs to 
customers if we do not do so? We seek comment on the methods wireless 
carriers have established to help victims of port-out fraud stop an 
unauthorized port-out request or to recover their phone numbers from 
bad actors.
    41. Accounts With Multiple Lines. We seek comment on how the 
proposed changes to our LNP rules impact wireless accounts with 
multiple lines, such as shared or family accounts. If we require the 
customer to provide a one-time passcode for the carrier to execute the 
port, should each line on the shared or family account have its own 
passcode? If the account owner elects to freeze the account to protect 
against unauthorized changes, how can we ensure that another member of 
the shared or family account remains able to port-out their number? 
Should the port-freeze option apply only to individual lines and not to 
entire accounts? Do our proposed rules impact these types of accounts 
with multiple lines in any other ways?
    42. Role of Administrator. We also seek comment on whether the 
Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) can play a role in 
thwarting port-out fraud by serving as an authorized neutral third-
party to verify customer identification prior to authorizing a port-out 
request. The LNPA operates the Number Portability Administration Center 
(NPAC), which ``is the system that supports the implementation of LNP 
and is used to facilitate number porting in the United States. The 
LNPA, through the NPAC, currently works with a customer's new service 
provider to create a number port and sends a notification to the old 
service provider, once the existing service provider validates and 
confirms the subscriber's information. What information regarding port 
requests does the NPAC retain? Is there additional information 
regarding port requests the NPAC should retain to help prevent port-out 
fraud? What records could be helpful if provided to customers who have 
been victims of unauthorized port-out fraud? Through what means and 
under what conditions, if any, should wireless providers permit their 
customers to access NPAC data regarding port requests that pertain to 
the customer's telephone number? Are there additional obligations that 
we should direct or encourage North American Portability Management, 
LLC, which oversees the LNPA contract, to impose on the LNPA to 
safeguard against port-out fraud?
    43. As discussed above, the Number Portability Industry Forum has 
created ``Best Practices'' for porting between and within telephony 
carriers. Best Practice 73 (Unauthorized Port Flow) specifically 
addresses carrier processes for responding to unauthorized ports, 
including fraudulent ports, which are ports ``which occurred as the 
result of an intentional act of fraud, theft, and/or 
misrepresentation.'' We seek comment on the extent to which wireless 
providers have adopted Best Practice 73. If wireless carriers have 
adopted Best Practice 73, is it effective in addressing port-out fraud? 
Are there changes we can make to the process flow to better protect 
customers? If wireless carriers have not implemented Best Practice 73, 
we seek comment on other methods they use to investigate potentially 
fraudulent ports and how they restore service to the customer. Should 
we require mobile carriers to adopt Best Practice 73 to help speed 
resolution of fraudulent port complaints? We also seek comment on what 
role the North American Numbering Council (NANC) can play in 
establishing updated best practices to protect customers from port-out 
fraud and in reaching industry consensus.
    44. Partial Porting Fraud. We seek comment on whether the proposals 
on which we seek comment above would also be effective against partial 
porting fraud, where the bad actor changes the consumer's carrier for 
delivery of SMS messages without changing their primary carrier. Would 
our proposed customer notification and authentication rule prevent 
routing of SMS messages through an alternate provider without customer 
notification? Would a port freeze prevent changing the delivery 
provider and destination of SMS messages? If not, what changes to the 
proposed rules would be required to ensure they also apply to partial 
porting fraud? What additional measures would be necessary to prevent 
partial porting fraud in addition to the fraud that may occur when a 
wireless provider completely ports a consumer's mobile service?
    45. Impact on Smaller Carriers. We seek comment on the impact the 
LNP rule changes that we discuss above could have on smaller carriers. 
Would these new requirements impose undue burdens on smaller carriers? 
Would smaller carriers face different costs from larger carriers in 
implementing the new requirements, if adopted? Would smaller carriers 
need more time to comply with revised number porting rules? Do they 
face other obstacles that we have not considered here?
    46. Legal Authority. Finally, we seek comment on our legal 
authority to adopt the possible rules discussed in this section. We 
propose to rely on authority derived from sections 4, 201, 251(b)(2), 
251(e), 303, and 332 of the Act to implement the proposed changes to 
our number porting rules to address port-out fraud, and seek comment on 
our proposal. Are there additional sources of authority on which the 
Commission can rely to implement these proposals? Should we extend any 
of the LNP rules on which we seek comment to any entities other than 
wireless carriers, such as landline carriers or VoIP providers? If so, 
we propose concluding that we have authority to do so pursuant to 
section 251(e), and we seek comment on this view. We also seek comment 
on whether we should update the references to ``CMRS'' in the 
Commission's number porting rules to reflect evolving technology. 
Finally, we solicit input on the relative costs and benefits of our 
proposals to amend the LNP rules to address port-out fraud.

C. Additional Consumer Protection Measures

    47. Finally, we seek comment on any additional rules that would 
help protect customers from SIM swap or port-out fraud or assist them 
with resolving problems resulting from such incidents. We are aware 
that customers sometimes need documentation of the fraud incident to 
provide to law enforcement, financial institutions, or others to 
resolve financial fraud or other harms of the incident. A SIM swap or 
port-out

[[Page 57399]]

fraud victim may have difficulty obtaining such documentation from the 
carrier because the carrier may not have processes in place to produce 
such documentation. To provide support for customers who have become 
victims, we seek comment on requiring wireless carriers to provide to 
customers (upon request) documentation of SIM swap or port-out fraud on 
accounts that the customer may then provide to law enforcement, 
financial institutions, or others. We seek comment on what information 
should be included in the documentation provided by carriers. We also 
seek comment on the potential benefits and projected costs of this 
proposal, including on smaller providers. Further, we invite input on 
how the proposed rule would affect the customer experience, either 
positively or negatively.
    48. Next, we seek comment on other measures we can adopt to ensure 
that customers have easy access to information they need to report SIM 
swap, port-out, or other fraud. As discussed above, we believe that 
customer service representatives should be trained on how to assist 
customers who have been victims of SIM swap or port-out fraud, and 
carriers should have procedures in place for a response. Identity 
theft, including SIM swap fraud, can cause intense anxiety for victims 
and must be addressed in a timely manner to prevent financial losses 
and exposure of personal information. Thus, in addition to providing 
documentation, we believe that it should be easy for a customer to get 
access to appropriate carrier resources that can help mitigate the 
significant harms caused by SIM swap or port-out fraud. As such, we 
seek comment on whether we should adopt rules addressing how wireless 
carriers deal with customers once they have become victims of SIM 
swapping and port-out fraud. What procedures do carriers have in place 
to assist customers in these circumstances and are these procedures 
effective? What additional steps can carriers take to recover the 
account and stop the ongoing fraudulent activity? How can carriers 
ensure that customers have easy access to the information they need to 
report SIM swap fraud? Should we require wireless carriers to establish 
a dedicated point or method of contact that is easily accessible by 
customers and is made available on the carrier's website so that 
customers can get timely assistance from their carriers? Or, given the 
time-sensitive nature of most fraud, would it make sense to require 
carriers to have a dedicated and publicized fraud hotline that 
customers can call directly in the case of suspected fraud? What costs 
would such a requirement impose on carriers, and how long would it take 
for carriers to implement? Are any of the Commission's existing rules 
obstacles to helping customers recover following a SIM swap or port-out 
fraud incident?
    49. We seek comment on whether there are other customer protections 
we could adopt to address the problems associated with SIM swap and 
port-out fraud. For example, should the Commission require wireless 
carriers to enable ``fraud alerts'' on accounts and publicize these 
services to customers? Such fraud alerts could trigger additional 
protections when changes are requested on the accounts. Would such a 
requirement be effective at deterring SIM swap and port-out fraud? 
Would it have any unintended consequences for customers? What would 
such a requirement cost? Are there any other consumer protections that 
would be effective in combatting SIM swap and port-out fraud and, if 
so, how would they operate? What would be their relative costs and 
benefits? For example, we understand that in other countries, carriers 
and financial institutions share information about SIM transfers to 
limit damages to consumers resulting from incidents of SIM swap fraud. 
As discussed above, section 222 strictly limits carriers' ability to 
share a customer's CPNI without the customer's consent. Can we, and 
should we, encourage carriers to establish a mechanism based on express 
customer consent that would enable a financial institution to determine 
whether a SIM transfer had been recently completed to help protect 
customers from the financial harms of SIM swap and port-out fraud? If 
so, should we require or encourage carriers to ask for customer 
permission upon set up of accounts (and to send out one-time notice to 
all existing customers asking if they want to permit this)? Should such 
a rule require retention of the record of this permission for some 
designated period of time? Should carriers be permitted to charge a fee 
for this service either to the wireless customer or to the financial 
institution? Are there other types of institutions that might need 
access to the same type of information to prevent fraud? Should our 
rules expressly permit or prohibit this type of service? What are the 
potential risks and benefits to consumers? We seek comment on how we 
can ensure that customers are able to take advantage of third-party 
fraud services to protect against SIM swap and port-out fraud.
    50. We tentatively conclude that our broad Title III authority 
would support imposing additional consumer protection obligations such 
as those discussed in this section on wireless carriers. We also seek 
comment on whether authority derived from sections 4, 201, 222, 251, 
303, and 332 would support such additional consumer protection 
measures. Should we extend any new consumer protection requirements to 
interconnected VoIP services, one-way VoIP services, or landline 
services? If so, pursuant to what legal authority would the Commission 
adopt such rules? We invite commenters to discuss the relative costs 
and benefits of these proposals and any foreseeable unintended 
consequences of the measures we discuss.
    51. We seek comment on whether there are standards-setting bodies, 
industry organizations, or consumer groups that could evaluate this 
issue to augment our understanding and present possible solutions. For 
example, could the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions 
(ATIS) provide technical expertise that would be useful in determining 
the best course of action by the Commission to protect customers from 
SIM swap or port-out fraud? Could relevant trade associations work to 
develop industry consensus solutions to the problem?
    52. Digital Equity and Inclusion. Finally, the Commission, as part 
of its continuing effort to advance digital equity for all, including 
people of color, persons with disabilities, persons who live in rural 
or Tribal areas, and others who are or have been historically 
underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected by persistent poverty 
or inequality, invites comment on any equity-related considerations and 
benefits (if any) that may be associated with the proposals and issues 
discussed herein. Specifically, we seek comment on how our proposals 
may promote or inhibit advances in diversity, equity, inclusion, and 
accessibility, as well the scope of the Commission's relevant legal 
authority. The term ``equity'' is used here consistent with Executive 
Order 13985 as the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial 
treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to 
underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as 
Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of 
religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer 
(LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural

[[Page 57400]]

areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty 
or inequality. See Exec. Order No. 13985, 86 FR 7009, Executive Order 
on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities 
Through the Federal Government (January 20, 2021).

II. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    53. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, as 
amended (RFA), the Commission has prepared this Initial Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) of the possible significant economic impact 
on a substantial number of small entities by the policies and rules 
proposed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). Written comments 
are requested on this IRFA. Comments must be identified as responses to 
the IRFA and must be filed by the deadlines for comments on the NPRM 
provided on the first page of the item. The Commission will send a copy 
of the NPRM, including this IRFA, to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
the Small Business Administration (SBA). In addition, the NPRM and IRFA 
(or summaries thereof) will be published in the Federal Register.

A. Need For, and Objectives of, the Proposed Rules

    54. This item focuses developing protections to address SIM 
swapping and port-out fraud. In SIM swapping, the bad actor targets a 
consumer's subscriber identity module (SIM) and convinces the victim's 
wireless carrier to transfer the victim's service from the original 
device (and that device's SIM) to a cell phone in the bad actor's 
possession. A consumer's wireless phone number is associated with the 
SIM in that consumer's cell phone; by ``swapping'' the SIM associated 
with a phone number, the bad actor can take control of a consumer's 
cell phone account. In ``port-out fraud,'' the bad actor, posing as the 
victim, opens an account with a carrier other than the victim's current 
carrier. The bad actor then arranges for the victim's phone number to 
be transferred to (or ``ported out'') to the account with the new 
carrier controlled by the bad actor.
    55. We have received numerous consumer complaints from people who 
have suffered significant distress, inconvenience, and financial harm 
as a result of SIM swapping and port-out fraud. Today, we take aim at 
these scams, with the goal of foreclosing these opportunistic ways in 
which bad actors take over consumers' cell phone accounts. Section 222 
of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the ``Act''), and our 
Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules, which govern the 
use, disclosure, and protection of sensitive customer information to 
which a telecommunications carrier has access, require carriers to take 
reasonable measures to discover and protect against attempts to gain 
unauthorized access to customers' private information. Our Local Number 
Portability (LNP) rules govern the porting of telephone numbers from 
one carrier to another. Yet, it appears that neither our CPNI rules nor 
our LNP rules are adequately protecting consumers against SIM swap and 
port-out fraud. We, therefore, propose to amend our CPNI and LNP rules 
to require carriers to adopt secure methods of authenticating a 
customer before redirecting a customer's phone number to a new device 
or carrier. We also propose to require providers to immediately notify 
customers whenever a SIM change or port request is made on customers' 
accounts, and we seek comment on other ways to protect consumers from 
SIM swapping and port-out fraud.

B. Legal Basis

    56. The legal basis for any action that may be taken pursuant to 
this NPRM is contained in sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201, 222, 251, 
303(r), and 332 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 
U.S.C. 151, 154, 201, 222, 251, 303(r), 332.

C. Description and Estimate of the Number of Small Entities to Which 
the Proposed Rules Will Apply

    57. The RFA directs agencies to provide a description of, and, 
where feasible, an estimate of the number of small entities that may be 
affected by the proposed rules and policies, if adopted. The RFA 
generally defines the term ``small entity'' as having the same meaning 
as the terms ``small business,'' ``small organization,'' and ``small 
governmental jurisdiction.'' In addition, the term ``small business'' 
has the same meaning as the term ``small business concern'' under the 
Small Business Act. A ``small business concern'' is one which: (1) Is 
independently owned and operated; (2) is not dominant in its field of 
operation; and (3) satisfies any additional criteria established by the 
SBA.
    58. Small Businesses, Small Organizations, Small Governmental 
Jurisdictions. Our actions, over time, may affect small entities that 
are not easily categorized at present. We therefore describe here, at 
the outset, three broad groups of small entities that could be directly 
affected herein. First, while there are industry specific size 
standards for small businesses that are used in the regulatory 
flexibility analysis, according to data from the Small Business 
Administration's (SBA) Office of Advocacy, in general a small business 
is an independent business having fewer than 500 employees. These types 
of small businesses represent 99.9 percent of all businesses in the 
United States, which translates to 30.7 million businesses.
    59. Next, the type of small entity described as a ``small 
organization'' is generally ``any not-for-profit enterprise which is 
independently owned and operated and is not dominant in its field.'' 
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses a revenue benchmark of $50,000 
or less to delineate its annual electronic filing requirements for 
small exempt organizations. Nationwide, for tax year 2018, there were 
approximately 571,709 small exempt organizations in the U.S. reporting 
revenues of $50,000 or less according to the registration and tax data 
for exempt organizations available from the IRS.
    60. Finally, the small entity described as a ``small governmental 
jurisdiction'' is defined generally as ``governments of cities, 
counties, towns, townships, villages, school districts, or special 
districts, with a population of less than fifty thousand.'' U.S. Census 
Bureau data from the 2017 Census of Governments indicate that there 
were 90,075 local governmental jurisdictions consisting of general 
purpose governments and special purpose governments in the United 
States. Of this number there were 36,931 general purpose governments 
(county, municipal and town or township) with populations of less than 
50,000 and 12,040 special purpose governments--independent school 
districts with enrollment populations of less than 50,000.
1. Providers of Telecommunications and Other Services
    61. Wired Telecommunications Carriers. The U.S. Census Bureau 
defines this industry as ``establishments primarily engaged in 
operating and/or providing access to transmission facilities and 
infrastructure that they own and/or lease for the transmission of 
voice, data, text, sound, and video using wired communications 
networks. Transmission facilities may be based on a single technology 
or a combination of technologies. Establishments in this industry use 
the wired telecommunications network facilities that they operate to 
provide a variety of services, such as wired telephony

[[Page 57401]]

services, including VoIP services, wired (cable) audio and video 
programming distribution, and wired broadband internet services. By 
exception, establishments providing satellite television distribution 
services using facilities and infrastructure that they operate are 
included in this industry.'' The SBA has developed a small business 
size standard for Wired Telecommunications Carriers, which consists of 
all such companies having 1,500 or fewer employees. U.S. Census Bureau 
data for 2012 show that there were 3,117 firms that operated that year. 
Of this total, 3,083 operated with fewer than 1,000 employees. Thus, 
under this size standard, the majority of firms in this industry can be 
considered small.
    62. Local Exchange Carriers (LECs). Neither the Commission nor the 
SBA has developed a size standard for small businesses specifically 
applicable to local exchange services. The closest applicable NAICS 
Code category is Wired Telecommunications Carriers. Under the 
applicable SBA size standard, such a business is small if it has 1,500 
or fewer employees. U.S. Census Bureau data for 2012 show that there 
were 3,117 firms that operated for the entire year. Of that total, 
3,083 operated with fewer than 1,000 employees. Thus under this 
category and the associated size standard, the Commission estimates 
that the majority of local exchange carriers are small entities.
    63. Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (LECs). Neither the 
Commission nor the SBA has developed a small business size standard 
specifically for incumbent local exchange services. The closest 
applicable NAICS Code category is Wired Telecommunications Carriers. 
Under the applicable SBA size standard, such a business is small if it 
has 1,500 or fewer employees. U.S. Census Bureau data for 2012 indicate 
that 3,117 firms operated the entire year. Of this total, 3,083 
operated with fewer than 1,000 employees. Consequently, the Commission 
estimates that most providers of incumbent local exchange service are 
small businesses that may be affected by our actions. According to 
Commission data, one thousand three hundred and seven (1,307) Incumbent 
Local Exchange Carriers reported that they were incumbent local 
exchange service providers. Of this total, an estimated 1,006 have 
1,500 or fewer employees. Thus, using the SBA's size standard the 
majority of incumbent LECs can be considered small entities.
    64. Interexchange Carriers (IXCs). Neither the Commission nor the 
SBA has developed a small business size standard specifically for 
Interexchange Carriers. The closest applicable NAICS Code category is 
Wired Telecommunications Carriers. The applicable size standard under 
SBA rules is that such a business is small if it has 1,500 or fewer 
employees. U.S. Census Bureau data for 2012 indicate that 3,117 firms 
operated for the entire year. Of that number, 3,083 operated with fewer 
than 1,000 employees. According to internally developed Commission 
data, 359 companies reported that their primary telecommunications 
service activity was the provision of interexchange services. Of this 
total, an estimated 317 have 1,500 or fewer employees. Consequently, 
the Commission estimates that the majority of interexchange service 
providers are small entities.
    65. Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (Competitive LECs). 
Competitive Access Providers (CAPs), Shared-Tenant Service Providers, 
and Other Local Service Providers. Neither the Commission nor the SBA 
has developed a small business size standard specifically for these 
service providers. The appropriate NAICS Code category is Wired 
Telecommunications Carriers and under that size standard, such a 
business is small if it has 1,500 or fewer employees. U.S. Census 
Bureau data for 2012 indicate that 3,117 firms operated during that 
year. Of that number, 3,083 operated with fewer than 1,000 employees. 
Based on these data, the Commission concludes that the majority of 
Competitive LECS, CAPs, Shared-Tenant Service Providers, and Other 
Local Service Providers, are small entities. According to Commission 
data, 1,442 carriers reported that they were engaged in the provision 
of either competitive local exchange services or competitive access 
provider services. Of these 1,442 carriers, an estimated 1,256 have 
1,500 or fewer employees. In addition, 17 carriers have reported that 
they are Shared-Tenant Service Providers, and all 17 are estimated to 
have 1,500 or fewer employees. Also, 72 carriers have reported that 
they are Other Local Service Providers. Of this total, 70 have 1,500 or 
fewer employees. Consequently, based on internally researched FCC data, 
the Commission estimates that most providers of competitive local 
exchange service, competitive access providers, Shared-Tenant Service 
Providers, and Other Local Service Providers are small entities.
    66. Local Resellers. The SBA has not developed a small business 
size standard specifically for Local Resellers. The closest NAICS Code 
Category is Telecommunications Resellers. The Telecommunications 
Resellers industry comprises establishments engaged in purchasing 
access and network capacity from owners and operators of 
telecommunications networks and reselling wired and wireless 
telecommunications services (except satellite) to businesses and 
households. Establishments in this industry resell telecommunications; 
they do not operate transmission facilities and infrastructure. MVNOs 
are included in this industry. The SBA has developed a small business 
size standard for the category of Telecommunications Resellers. Under 
that size standard, such a business is small if it has 1,500 or fewer 
employees. 2012 U.S. Census Bureau data show that 1,341 firms provided 
resale services during that year. Of that number, 1,341 operated with 
fewer than 1,000 employees. Thus, under this category and the 
associated small business size standard, the majority of these 
resellers can be considered small entities. According to Commission 
data, 881 carriers have reported that they are engaged in the provision 
of toll resale services. Of this total, an estimated 857 have 1,500 or 
fewer employees. Consequently, the Commission estimates that the 
majority of local resellers are small entities.
    67. Toll Resellers. The Commission has not developed a definition 
for Toll Resellers. The closest NAICS Code Category is 
Telecommunications Resellers. The Telecommunications Resellers industry 
comprises establishments engaged in purchasing access and network 
capacity from owners and operators of telecommunications networks and 
reselling wired and wireless telecommunications services (except 
satellite) to businesses and households. Establishments in this 
industry resell telecommunications; they do not operate transmission 
facilities and infrastructure. MVNOs are included in this industry. The 
SBA has developed a small business size standard for the category of 
Telecommunications Resellers. Under that size standard, such a business 
is small if it has 1,500 or fewer employees. 2012 U.S. Census Bureau 
data show that 1,341 firms provided resale services during that year. 
Of that number, 1,341 operated with fewer than 1,000 employees. Thus, 
under this category and the associated small business size standard, 
the majority of these resellers can be considered small entities. 
According to Commission data, 881 carriers have reported that they are 
engaged in the provision of toll resale services. Of this total, an 
estimated 857 have 1,500 or fewer employees. Consequently, the

[[Page 57402]]

Commission estimates that the majority of toll resellers are small 
entities.
    68. Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite). This 
industry comprises establishments engaged in operating and maintaining 
switching and transmission facilities to provide communications via the 
airwaves. Establishments in this industry have spectrum licenses and 
provide services using that spectrum, such as cellular services, paging 
services, wireless internet access, and wireless video services. The 
appropriate size standard under SBA rules is that such a business is 
small if it has 1,500 or fewer employees. For this industry, U.S. 
Census Bureau data for 2012 show that there were 967 firms that 
operated for the entire year. Of this total, 955 firms employed fewer 
than 1,000 employees and 12 firms employed of 1000 employees or more. 
Thus under this category and the associated size standard, the 
Commission estimates that the majority of Wireless Telecommunications 
Carriers (except Satellite) are small entities.
    69. The Commission's own data--available in its Universal Licensing 
System--indicate that, as of August 31, 2018 there are 265 Cellular 
licensees that will be affected by our actions. The Commission does not 
know how many of these licensees are small, as the Commission does not 
collect that information for these types of entities. Similarly, 
according to internally developed Commission data, 413 carriers 
reported that they were engaged in the provision of wireless telephony, 
including cellular service, Personal Communications Service (PCS), and 
Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Telephony services. Of this total, an 
estimated 261 have 1,500 or fewer employees, and 152 have more than 
1,500 employees. Thus, using available data, we estimate that the 
majority of wireless firms can be considered small.
    70. Satellite Telecommunications. This category comprises firms 
``primarily engaged in providing telecommunications services to other 
establishments in the telecommunications and broadcasting industries by 
forwarding and receiving communications signals via a system of 
satellites or reselling satellite telecommunications.'' Satellite 
telecommunications service providers include satellite and earth 
station operators. The category has a small business size standard of 
$35 million or less in average annual receipts, under SBA rules. For 
this category, U.S. Census Bureau data for 2012 show that there were a 
total of 333 firms that operated for the entire year. Of this total, 
299 firms had annual receipts of less than $25 million. Consequently, 
we estimate that the majority of satellite telecommunications providers 
are small entities.
    71. All Other Telecommunications. The ``All Other 
Telecommunications'' category is comprised of establishments primarily 
engaged in providing specialized telecommunications services, such as 
satellite tracking, communications telemetry, and radar station 
operation. This industry also includes establishments primarily engaged 
in providing satellite terminal stations and associated facilities 
connected with one or more terrestrial systems and capable of 
transmitting telecommunications to, and receiving telecommunications 
from, satellite systems. Establishments providing internet services or 
voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services via client-supplied 
telecommunications connections are also included in this industry. The 
SBA has developed a small business size standard for ``All Other 
Telecommunications,'' which consists of all such firms with annual 
receipts of $35 million or less. For this category, U.S. Census Bureau 
data for 2012 show that there were 1,442 firms that operated for the 
entire year. Of those firms, a total of 1,400 had annual receipts less 
than $25 million and 15 firms had annual receipts of $25 million to 
$49,999,999. Thus, the Commission estimates that the majority of ``All 
Other Telecommunications'' firms potentially affected by our action can 
be considered small.
2. Internet Service Providers
    72. internet Service Providers (Broadband). Broadband internet 
service providers include wired (e.g., cable, DSL) and VoIP service 
providers using their own operated wired telecommunications 
infrastructure fall in the category of Wired Telecommunication 
Carriers. Wired Telecommunications Carriers are comprised of 
establishments primarily engaged in operating and/or providing access 
to transmission facilities and infrastructure that they own and/or 
lease for the transmission of voice, data, text, sound, and video using 
wired telecommunications networks. Transmission facilities may be based 
on a single technology or a combination of technologies. The SBA size 
standard for this category classifies a business as small if it has 
1,500 or fewer employees. U.S. Census Bureau data for 2012 show that 
there were 3,117 firms that operated that year. Of this total, 3,083 
operated with fewer than 1,000 employees. Consequently, under this size 
standard the majority of firms in this industry can be considered 
small.

D. Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other 
Compliance Requirements for Small Entities

    73. In this NPRM, we propose to prohibit wireless carriers from 
effectuating a SIM swap unless the carrier uses a secure method of 
authenticating its customer. We also propose to amend our CPNI rules to 
require wireless carriers to develop procedures for responding to 
failed authentication attempts and to notify customers immediately of 
any requests for SIM changes. We also seek comment on whether we should 
impose customer service, training, and transparency requirements 
specifically focused on preventing SIM swap fraud. We likewise propose 
to amend our number porting rules to combat port-out fraud while 
continuing to encourage robust competition through efficient number 
porting. Specifically, the Commission also proposes to amend the LNP 
rules to require carriers to send customers a text message or push 
notification whenever a porting request is made; to require carriers to 
allow customers the option to freeze their accounts to prevent any 
unauthorized port-out requests; and to codify the data fields wireless 
carriers must use to validate a port request. Finally, we also seek 
comment whether we should adopt any other changes to our rules to 
address SIM swap and port-out fraud, including the difficulties 
encountered by victims of these schemes.
    74. Should the Commission decide to modify existing rules or adopt 
new rules to protect customers from SIM swap or porting-out fraud, such 
action could potentially result in increased, reduced, or otherwise 
modified recordkeeping, reporting, or other compliance requirements for 
affected providers of service. We seek comment on the effect of any 
proposals on small entities. Entities, especially small businesses, are 
encouraged to quantify the costs and benefits of any reporting, 
recordkeeping, or compliance requirement that may be established in 
this proceeding.

E. Steps Taken To Minimize the Significant Economic Impact on Small 
Entities, and Significant Alternatives Considered

    75. The RFA requires an agency to describe any significant, 
specifically small business, alternatives that it has considered in 
reaching its proposed approach, which may include the following four 
alternatives (among others): ``(1) the establishment of differing 
compliance or reporting

[[Page 57403]]

requirements or timetables that take into account the resources 
available to small entities; (2) the clarification, consolidation, or 
simplification of compliance and reporting requirements under the rule 
for such small entities; (3) the use of performance rather than design 
standards; and (4) an exemption from coverage of the rule, or any part 
thereof, for such small entities.''
    76. In this NPRM, we seek comment whether the Commission should 
modify its CPNI or LNP rules to protect customers from SIM swap and 
port-out fraud, and, if so, whether our proposals would be effective to 
do so. In this NPRM, we seek comment on the impact that any proposed 
rules could have on smaller carriers. We also seek comment on the 
benefits and burdens, especially the burdens on small entities, of 
adopting any new or revised rules regarding the customer authentication 
and porting process. Specifically, we seek comment whether the proposed 
requirements would impose additional burdens on smaller carriers; 
whether smaller carriers would face different costs than larger 
carriers in implementing the new requirements, if adopted; whether 
smaller carriers would need more time to comply with any new or 
modified authentication or port-out rules; and whether smaller 
providers face other obstacles that we have not considered here. The 
Commission expects to consider the economic impact on small entities, 
as identified in comments filed in response to the NPRM, in reaching 
its final conclusions and taking action in this proceeding.

F. Federal Rules That May Duplicate, Overlap, or Conflict With the 
Proposed Rules

    77. None.

III. Procedural Matters

    78. Ex Parte Rules. This proceeding shall be treated as a ``permit-
but-disclose'' proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte 
rules. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any 
written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation 
within two business days after the presentation (unless a different 
deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making 
oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the 
presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise 
participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was 
made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during 
the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of 
the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the 
presenter's written comments, memoranda or other filings in the 
proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or 
arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings 
(specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data 
or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the 
memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex 
parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must 
be filed consistent with Rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by 
Rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of 
electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda 
summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, 
must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available 
for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., 
.doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding 
should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
    79. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. Pursuant to the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), the Commission has prepared an 
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) of the possible 
significant economic impact on small entities of the policies and 
actions considered in this NPRM. Written public comments are requested 
on this IRFA. Comments must be identified as responses to the IRFA and 
must be filed by the deadlines for comments on the NPRM. The 
Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Reference 
Information Center, will send a copy of the NPRM, including the IRFA, 
to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.
    80. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis. This document 
contains proposed new or modified information collection requirements. 
The Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork 
burdens, invites the general public and the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) to comment on the information collection requirements 
contained in this document, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13. In addition, pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, we seek specific 
comment on how we might further reduce the information collection 
burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

IV. Ordering Clauses

    81. Accordingly, it is ordered that, pursuant to the authority 
contained in sections 1, 4, 201, 222, 251, 303(r), and 332 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154, 201, 222, 
251, 303(r), and 332, this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WC Docket 
No. 21-341 is adopted.
    82. It is further ordered that the Commission's Consumer and 
Governmental Affairs Bureau, Reference Information Center, shall send a 
copy of this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, including the Initial 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
the Small Business Administration.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Parts 52 and 64

    Communications, Communications common carrier, Individuals with 
disabilities, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Telecommunications, Telephone.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.

Proposed Rules

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR parts 52 and 64 as 
follows:

PART 52--NUMBERING

0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 201-205, 207-209, 
218, 225-227, 251-252, 271, 303, 332, unless otherwise noted.

0
2. Add Sec.  52.37 to subpart C to read as follows:


Sec.  52.37   Number Portability Requirements for Wireless Providers.

    (a) A wireless provider, including a reseller of wireless service, 
may only require the data described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this 
section to accomplish a simple wireless-to-wireless port order request 
from an end user customer's new wireless provider.
    (b) Required standard data fields.
    (1) Ported telephone number;
    (2) Account number;
    (3) Zip code;
    (c) Optional standard data field. A Passcode field shall be 
optional unless the passcode has been requested and assigned by the end 
user, in which case it is required.
    (d) Notification required after port request. A wireless provider, 
including a reseller of wireless service, shall notify an end user 
customer that a port request

[[Page 57404]]

has been received for the customer's account before executing a simple 
wireless-to-wireless port request. A wireless provider shall provide 
this notification to the end-user customer via text message to the 
telephone number of record for the customer's account or via push 
notification.
    (e) Account freezes. A wireless provider, including a reseller of 
wireless service, shall offer customers the option to lock their 
accounts to prohibit unauthorized port requests. If the customer 
chooses to lock the customer's account, the wireless provider shall not 
fulfill a simple wireless-to-wireless port order request until the 
customer deactivates the lock on the account.

PART 64--MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS

0
3. The authority citation for part 64 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154, 201, 202, 217, 218, 220, 
222, 225, 226, 227, 227b, 228, 251(a), 251(e), 254(k), 262, 276, 
403(b)(2)(B), (c), 616, 620, 1401-1473, unless otherwise noted; Pub. 
L. 115-141, Div. P, sec. 503, 132 Stat. 348, 1091.

0
4. Amend Sec.  64.2010 by:
0
a. Revising paragraphs (b) and (c),
0
b. Redesignating paragraphs (e) through (g) as paragraphs (g) through 
(i),
0
c. Revising newly redesignated paragraphs (g) and (h), and
0
d. Adding new paragraphs (e) and (f).
    The revisions and addition read as follows:


Sec.  64.2010   Safeguards on the disclosure of customer proprietary 
network information.

* * * * *
    (b) Telephone access to CPNI. Telecommunications carriers may only 
disclose call detail information over the telephone, based on customer-
initiated telephone contact, if the customer first provides the carrier 
with a password, as described in paragraph (g) of this section, that is 
not prompted by the carrier asking for readily available biographical 
information or account information. If the customer does not provide a 
password, the telecommunications carrier may only disclose call detail 
information by sending it to the customer's address of record, or by 
calling the customer at the telephone number of record. If the customer 
is able to provide call detail information to the telecommunications 
carrier during a customer-initiated call without the telecommunications 
carrier's assistance, then the telecommunications carrier is permitted 
to discuss the call detail information provided by the customer.
    (c) Online access to CPNI. A telecommunications carrier must 
authenticate a customer without the use of readily available 
biographical information, account information, recent payment 
information, or call detail information, prior to allowing the customer 
online access to CPNI related to a telecommunications service account. 
Once authenticated, the customer may only obtain online access to CPNI 
related to a telecommunications service account through a password, as 
described in paragraph (g) of this section, that is not prompted by the 
carrier asking for readily available biographical information, account 
information, recent payment information, or call detail information.
* * * * *
    (e) Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) changes. Telecommunications 
carriers shall not effectuate a SIM change unless the carrier uses a 
secure method of authenticating its customer. For purposes of this 
paragraph, the following shall be considered secure methods of 
authenticating a customer: (1) Use of a pre-established password; (2) a 
one-time passcode sent via text message to the account phone number or 
a pre-registered backup number; (3) a one-time passcode sent via email 
to the email address associated with the account; or (4) a one-time 
passcode sent using a voice call to the account phone number or a pre-
registered backup number. These methods shall not be considered 
exhaustive and an alternative customer authentication measure used by a 
carrier must be a secure method of authentication. For purposes of this 
section, SIM means a physical or virtual card contained with a device 
that stores unique information that can be identified to a specific 
mobile network.
    (f) Procedures for failed authentication for SIM changes. Wireless 
carriers shall develop, maintain, and implement procedures for 
responding to multiple failed authentication attempts.
    (g) Establishment of a password and back-up authentication methods 
for lost or forgotten passwords. To establish a password, a 
telecommunications carrier must authenticate the customer without the 
use of readily available biographical information, account information, 
recent payment information, or call detail information. 
Telecommunications carriers may create a back-up customer 
authentication method in the event of a lost or forgotten password, but 
such back-up customer authentication method may not prompt the customer 
for readily available biographical information, account information, 
recent payment information, or call detail information. If a customer 
cannot provide the correct password or the correct response for the 
back-up customer authentication method, the customer must establish a 
new password as described in this paragraph.
    (h) Notification of account changes. Telecommunications carriers 
must notify customers immediately whenever a password, customer 
response to a back-up means of authentication for lost or forgotten 
passwords, online account, or address of record is created or changed. 
This notification is not required when the customer initiates service, 
including the selection of a password at service initiation. This 
notification may be through a carrier-originated voicemail or text 
message to the telephone number of record, or by mail to the address of 
record, and must not reveal the changed information or be sent to the 
new account information. Telecommunications carriers shall notify 
customers immediately of any requests for SIM changes through means 
that effectively alert customers in a timely manner.
    (i) Business customer exemption. Telecommunications carriers may 
bind themselves contractually to authentication regimes other than 
those described in this section for services they provide to their 
business customers that have both a dedicated account representative 
and a contract that specifically addresses the carriers' protection of 
CPNI.

[FR Doc. 2021-22099 Filed 10-14-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P