SAFE CONNECTIONS NOTICE

The following explains Safe Connections and how to separate wireless lines in a shared plan under the Safe Connections rules.

What is Safe Connections?

Congress passed the Safe Connections Act of 2022 (“SCA”) with the goal of improving survivors of domestic abuse and related crimes access to communications services.

The SCA and resulting FCC rules will simplify survivors’ ability to safely separate their wireless phone service from a plan shared with an alleged abuser. The SCA additionally allows access to the FCC’s Lifeline program.

The Rules

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established rules based on the SCA. The rules govern how Covered Providers – like TDS Broadband Service LLC, TDS Metrocom, LLC, or TDS Long Distance Corporation (collectively “TDS”) – and survivors separate a phone line from a shared plan – or separate an alleged abuser from the shared plan. TDS values its ability to work with Survivors and complies with the rules, so Survivors can:

• Independently initiate the separation of their wireless services from shared accounts, and
• Receive information about the Lifeline program, which a Survivor may be eligible for six months with a valid line separation. Lifeline is not available on TDS Mobile Service. Lifeline is available on other qualifying services like home phone or broadband service. If the Survivor qualifies for Lifeline and would like it applied to mobile service, TDS will work with the Survivor to port their number to a different provider. If a Survivor would like more information about Lifeline or to enroll in Lifeline, the following links provide information on the Lifeline program: https://www.lifelinesupport.org/ or https://www.usac.org/lifeline/safe-connections-act/.

Key Definitions

To better understand Safe Connections, the information on this site, and assist in separating a shared plan, here are some important terms:

1. Abuser: an individual who has committed or allegedly committed a covered act as defined in 47 U.S.C 345 and the FCC’s rule against:

• An individual who seeks relief under 47 U.S.C. 345 and the FCC’s rules; or
• An individual in the care of an individual who seeks relief under 47 U.S.C. 345.

2. Covered Act: Crimes such as domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, sex trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, and similar crimes. A conviction is not necessary to qualify as a Covered Act.

3. Designated Representative: A person authorized to submit a Line Separation Request on behalf of a Survivor.

4. Line Separation Request (Request): The process by which Survivors can request to separate their lines from accounts shared with their abuser.

5. Survivor: An individual aged 18 or older who has experienced a Covered Act or is responsible for someone who has. This includes:

• Individuals in the same household (even if they reside in different residences).
• Parents or guardians of minors.
• Caretakers recognized by a valid court order or power of attorney.
• Those financially dependent on a parent, guardian, or caretaker.

How to Separate a Shared Plan

If you are a survivor or the designated representative and would like to separate from a shared plan, a Line Separation Request needs to be submitted.

The following describes that process and how to complete the request form:

1. Safe Connections Request Form: Complete the Safe Connections Request Form (see #3 below). The form collects all necessary information to initiate your request, such as:

• Personal information and Contact information
• Preferred method of contact (email or phone call)
• The wireless number you would like to separate and any additional numbers of those in your care, if applicable
• If you would like to separate from the shared plan or if you would like the alleged abuser to be removed from the shared plan, depending upon feasibility.

2. Documentation Affirming the Survivor’s Status: Gather documentation that affirms the Survivor’s status. Acceptable documents include:

• signed affidavits from licensed professionals (such as social workers or court employees),
• police reports,
• protective orders, or
• other official records.
• The survivor’s and alleged abuser’s names reflected in the Line Separation request should match the name on the documentation provided.
• The documentation does not need to be recent, providing flexibility for Survivors who may have experienced abuse in the past.

3. Submit the Request and Documentation:

• Fax: Download the editable Safe Connections form (.PDF, 132 KB) and populate the form. Once completed, print for submission via fax. Fax the completed form and documentation to 1-608-830-5634.
• Mail: Download the editable Safe Connections form (.PDF, 132 KB) and populate the form. Once completed, print for submission via mail. Mail the completed form and documentation to:
  
  TDS Safe Connections
  PO Box 5488
  Madison WI 53705
  
  
• NY Only customers: Customers living in New York can complete a self-attestation form to complete a line request. See pages 8 and 9 of the above linked Safe Connections form.

Expectations after Submitting a Line Separation Request

1. Over two business days, our team will process your line separation request.

2. An associate will contact you using your preferred method.

3. You will need to verify your identity, verify you are the user of the wireless line, and authenticate your Request.

4. Once verified, the line separation process will begin and you will select the desired service plan with the associate.

Note: the following issues may cause delays in processing the Line Separation Request:

• Missing or incomplete information;
• Missing required documents;
• Additional information was not provided timely;
• The account is subject to a fraud review, or,
• You’ve initiated a request to move your number to a different provider and the move request cannot be stopped.

Once TDS completes the review and there are no issues, you will receive confirmation using your preferred contact method.

Important Details

1. Support Resources: If you are experiencing abuse and need assistance, contact:

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233, texting BEGIN to 88788, or visiting thehotline.org.
• Shelters may be available to help. Locate a domestic violence shelter near you if you would like information on shelter options, assistance like support groups, crisis counseling, or safety planning.

2. Service Options: When initiating a new TDS Mobile Service account, as part of your request, it will be necessary to set up a credit card online for prepaid services. You will receive an email notification with instructions on how to complete this process.

3. Mobile Plan Pricing: Below is the pricing for each line. The discounted price assumes the customer has TDS High Speed Internet service installed at their primary residence. If not, the non-discounted price will be applied.

4. Financial Support: Survivors may qualify for financial assistance through the Lifeline program. Lifeline is not available on the TDS Mobile Service; however, Lifeline may be available on home phone or broadband service. If you would like Lifeline on your mobile Service, you will need to move to a different wireless provider, which TDS will help as needed. For more information, please visit USAC’s (Lifeline administrator) webpage to learn about eligibility requirements and to apply.

5. Designated Representative: Survivors can authorize a Designated Representative to handle or assist with their Line Separation Request. The Designated Representative will be listed in the Request form. In the Request form the survivor will advise who the person is, the survivor they are representing, and the relationship to the survivor. If the Designated Representative portion of the Request is completed, we will cooperate with this representative to the extent possible to ensure efficient processing.

6. Penalties, Fees, or Other Limitations: The SCA prohibits covered providers like TDS from making Line Separation Requests conditional upon penalties, fees, or other limitations. However, outstanding installment payments and other balances from any previous shared accounts may apply.

7. Technical or Operational Limitations: We have identified the following where a line separation may be technically or operationally challenging: 

• If the Survivor is the primary account holder, the alleged abuser’s line(s) can be removed from the shared account.
• If the Survivor is not the primary account holder, the Survivor will need to open an account in their name.
• When neither the Survivor nor the abuser is the primary account holder, we can move the Survivor to their own account but may not be able to remove the abuser from the original account, especially if the abuser is a minor.
• If the Survivor opens a new account, any information in the original account’s My Account site will not be transferred to the new account and no longer accessible to the Survivor.
• TDS cannot merge any lines with an existing account. This means the Survivor cannot add their line to someone else’s existing account.
• If we later determine any other type of line separation request is not technically or operationally feasible, we will promptly inform the Survivor or their Designated Representative and offer any available alternatives.

8. Abuser Notice Limitations: After receiving a legitimate Line Separation Request, TDS will inform the Survivor of the expected date notification to the primary account holder or the alleged abuser (if the line separation involves the abuser's line) about the service changes. However, please note that some visibility into these changes may be beyond our control. For example, once the Separation Request is processed, even if TDS has not yet notified the primary account holder or alleged abuser, account changes may be visible to those individuals through TDS’s online account management tool, My Account.

9. Confidentiality and Data Disposal: TDS will treat all information and documentation related to the Line Separation Request with confidentiality. This information will be used solely for processing the Request and managing services related to the Survivor's account. It will not be used for marketing purposes or disclosed beyond what is necessary for the line separation process, or as required by law. Additionally, we will securely dispose of the Safe Connections Request Form and any related documentation within 90 days of receipt, unless a valid court order requires retention.