A written notification sent to your local telephone company indicating that your telephone number should be "frozen" to a specific long distance carrier and should not be changed until you once again notify your local company in writing. This is a smart way for you to avoid being "slammed" (unauthorized switching) by unscrupulous long distance promoters.
a block your local phone company puts on your line, per your request, which protects you from being switched ("slammed") to another long distance carrier without your express consent
a flag put on your account which lets us know we must obtain your written authorization before making any long-distance carrier changes
a good preventative measure, but it is not an absolute guarantee that you cannot be slammed
a "lock" placed on your phone line to prevent the unauthorized switching of your long distance service
an added level of assurance that you and only you are authorized to change your long distance service
a preventative measure that keeps you from being "slammed" (switched with or without your authorization) to another long distance service
A PIC "freeze" is when a customer makes arrangements with their local telephone company ( LEC) to prevent their long distance carrier from being changed via an electronic order submitted by any other long distance carrier. This service is generally provided by the local telephone (LEC) company free, but only when specifically requested. When a PIC "Freeze" is in place, the local telephone company (LEC) will only change your long distance carrier with written and/or sometimes verbal permission from the customer. See also here for a definition of " Slamming". Click here for more information about slamming and to learn how you can avoid being slammed! [Back to Glossary Table of Contents
A free service offered by a local phone company that helps prevent the unauthorized switching of a consumer's long distance provider. (See Slamming.) With a PIC Freeze, the local phone company must obtain explicit approval from a consumer prior to changing the consumer's long distance provider.
A free service offered by a local phone company that helps to prevent the unauthorized switching of a consumer's presubscribed interexchange carrier (PIC) or long distance provider (see "Slamming"). A PIC Freeze requires the explicit approval of a consumer prior to changing the consumer's PIC. A PIC Freeze prevents a long distance company from ordering the local phone company to switch a consumer's service without the consumer's knowledge or consent.
An agreement between the customer and the local telephone company where the long-distance carrier will not change without the customer's permission at the local phone company. Also known as PIC Restriction or PIC Block.
A PIC Freeze prevents the long distance from being switched for the specified ANIs. Useful to prevent slamming, or the unauthorized switching of long distance services.
Pre-subscribed Interexchange Carrier Freeze. A PIC Freeze is in place when a consumer makes arrangements with their LEC (local exchange carrier) or telephone company to prevent changing the user's PIC without their permission. This is done to prevent "slamming."
an order to prevent "slamming" given to the local phone company by the customer not to switch the customer's resubscriber nterexchange arrier (long distance carrier) without the customer's expressed permission.
Pre-subscribed Interexchange Carrier Freeze. An agreement between a customer and their local telephone company to prevent “ slamming” on their long distance telephone bill.