(a) A telecommunications carrier may use a written or electronically signed letter of agency to obtain authorization and/or verification of a subscriber's request to change his or her preferred carrier selection. A letter of agency that does not conform with this section is invalid for purposes of this part.

(b) The letter of agency shall be a separate document (or an easily separable document) or located on a separate screen or webpage containing only the authorizing language described in paragraph (e) of this section having the sole purpose of authorizing a telecommunications carrier to initiate a preferred carrier change. The letter of agency must be signed and dated by the subscriber to the telephone line(s) requesting the preferred carrier change.

(c) The letter of agency shall not be combined on the same document, screen, or webpage with inducements of any kind.

(d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the letter of agency may be combined with checks that contain only the required letter of agency language as prescribed in paragraph (e) of this section and the necessary information to make the check a negotiable instrument. The letter of agency check shall not contain any promotional language or material. The letter of agency check shall contain in easily readable, bold-face type on the front of the check, a notice that the subscriber is authorizing a preferred carrier change by signing the check. The letter of agency language shall be placed near the signature line on the back of the check.

(e) At a minimum, the letter of agency must be printed with a type of sufficient size and readable type to be clearly legible and must contain clear and unambiguous language that confirms:

(1) The subscriber's billing name and address and each telephone number to be covered by the preferred carrier change order;

(2) The decision to change the preferred carrier from the current telecommunications carrier to the soliciting telecommunications carrier;

(3) That the subscriber designates [insert the name of the submitting carrier] to act as the subscriber's agent for the preferred carrier change;

(4) That the subscriber understands that only one telecommunications carrier may be designated as the subscriber's interstate or interLATA preferred interexchange carrier for any one telephone number. To the extent that a jurisdiction allows the selection of additional preferred carriers (e.g., local exchange, intraLATA toll, interLATA toll, or international interexchange), the letter of agency must contain separate statements regarding those choices, although a separate letter of agency for each choice is not necessary; and

(5) That the subscriber may consult with the carrier as to whether a fee will apply to the change in the subscriber's preferred carrier.

(f) Any carrier designated in a letter of agency as a preferred carrier must be the carrier directly setting the rates for the subscriber.

(g) Letters of agency shall not suggest or require that a subscriber take some action in order to retain the subscriber's current telecommunications carrier.

(h) If any portion of a letter of agency is translated into another language then all portions of the letter of agency must be translated into that language. Every letter of agency must be translated into the same language as any promotional materials, oral descriptions or instructions provided with the letter of agency.

(i) Letters of agency submitted with an electronically signed authorization must include the consumer disclosures required by Section 101(c) of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act.

(j) A telecommunications carrier shall submit a preferred carrier change order on behalf of a subscriber within no more than 60 days of obtaining a written or electronically signed letter of agency. However, letters of agency for multi-line and/or multi-location business customers that have entered into negotiated agreements with carriers to add presubscribed lines to their business locations during the course of a term agreement shall be valid for the period specified in the term agreement.

[64 FR 7760, Feb. 16, 1999. Redesignated at 65 FR 47692, Aug. 3, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 12893, Mar. 1, 2001; 66 FR 16151, Mar. 23, 2001; 68 FR 19159, Apr. 18, 2003; 73 FR 13149, Mar. 12, 2008]