GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Washington, DC 20405 CIO G 10000 CHGE 1 August 23, 2019 GSA GUIDANCE SUBJECT: GSA Telecommunications Guide 1. Purpose. This guide establishes the General Services Administration’s (GSA) guidance regarding the use of GSA-provided employee telecommunications equipment, systems and services to facilitate information sharing and communications inside and outside of the Agency for conducting Government business. This guide amplifies CIO 2165.2 GSA Telecommunications Policy. 2. Cancellation. This Guide cancels and supersedes CIO G 10000, GSA Telecommunications Guide, dated February 27, 2014. 3. Explanation of Change Paragraph. Changes made to Chapter 2, Section 3 to update requirements for recording meetings. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Authorized Use ......................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 3: Emergency Usage Reductions ................................................................................. 6 Chapter 4: Commercial Telephone Facilities .............................................................................. 7 Chapter 5: Wireless Devices ...................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 6: Privacy, Confidentiality and Security ........................................................................10 Chapter 7: Waste, Fraud and Abuse .........................................................................................12 Chapter 8: Use of Personal Equipment .....................................................................................14 Chapter 9: Records Management, Retention, and Archiving .....................................................15 Chapter 10: Usage Reports and Accounting .............................................................................16 Chapter 11: Monitoring ..............................................................................................................17 APPENDIX - Definitions ............................................................................................................19 Chapter 1: Introduction 1. Scope. Telecommunications equipment includes but is not limited to employee desktop computers and laptops connected to the network, desk phone sets, and cellular phones, smartphones and air cards. Telecommunications systems include GSA voice and data networks, and private branch exchanges (PBXes) and UC voice systems (IP PBXes). Telecommunications services include local and long-distance wireline voice services and telephone calling cards, the data wide-area network (WAN) connecting GSA offices, wireless voice and data services contracted by GSA and GSA IT Help Desk services. 2. Applicability. This guide applies to all GSA employees, contractors/subcontractors as specified in Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) or other agreement vehicles, government agencies, individuals, corporations, or other organizations that process or handle any GSA-owned information, data, or IT system equipment. Contracting Officers must include compliance with this guide in the Statement of Work (SOW) for contractor employees. This policy becomes effective immediately subject to any necessary bargaining obligations. This guide applies to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to the extent that the OIG determines this guide is consistent with the OIG’s independent authority under the IG Act and it does not conflict with other OIG policies or the OIG mission. 3. Background. Voice, data and wireless telecommunications technologies and services continue to evolve quickly, including the rapid evolution of carrier access and transport networks towards an all-IP (Internet protocol) environment. There now are many alternative broadband connectivity options for GSA employees inside and outside the agency – such as DSL, cable modem, fiber optics, Ethernet, 3G cellular, public WiFi, 4G WiMax and Long Term Evolution (LTE) technologies and services. This proliferation of new telecommunications technologies and services indicate a need for GSA to continuously optimize management of GSA-provided employee telecommunications equipment, systems and services, while offering employees unprecedented choices to improve productivity. Use of these technologies and services must follow the current laws and guidelines that govern avoiding and reporting waste, fraud and abuse, privacy, confidentiality, and security. 1 Chapter 2: Authorized Use 1. Voice Telephony: GSA-provided employee voice telecommunications systems include networks and end-user equipment, systems and services purchased by GSA; voice mail, unified communications (UC) voice/IP telephony systems (integrated IP audio/video/Web conferencing, unified messaging (UM), etc.); wireline and wireless local and long distance voice services; and telephone calling card services that are paid for by GSA for employee use inside and outside of the agency for conducting official business. a. This includes but is not limited to voice calls placed using a GSA-provided desktop phone or a softphone client installed by GSA IT on the user’s desk computer or laptop, or using a wireless device such as a cellular phone or smartphone for wireless voice communications; toll-free calls; teleconferencing calls, and telephone calling card calls. b. Official business telephone calls include regular Government business calls, emergency calls, and other calls determined to be in the interest of the Government. c. Emergency calls and other calls determined to be in the interest of the Government. (1) Examples include: a. An employee places a call using GSA paid facilities to notify family, doctor, etc., in the case of illness or if injured on the job. b. An employee traveling on Government business is delayed due to official business or transportation delay, and calls to notify family of a schedule change. c. An employee who is traveling for two or more nights on Government business (within in the United States or overseas) makes a brief call to his or her residence (but not more than an average of one call per day with a total duration of ten minutes or less). d. An employee is required to work overtime without advance notice and calls within their local commuting area (i.e., the area from which the employee regularly commutes) to advise his or her family of the change in schedule or to make alternate transportation or dependent care (e.g., child, senior or disabled family member care) arrangements. e. An employee makes a brief daily call to locations within their local commuting area to speak to his or her spouse or children (or those responsible for them, e.g., school or day care center) to see how they are. f. An employee makes brief calls to locations within their local commuting area that can be reached only during working hours, such as local government agencies, banks, or physicians. g. An employee makes brief calls to locations within their local commuting area to arrange for emergency repairs to his or her residence or automobile. (2) An emergency call or a personal call during working hours that is determined to be in the interest of the Government must meet one or more of the following criteria: 2 a. It must not adversely affect the performance of official duties by the employee or the employee's organization. b. It is of reasonable duration and frequency. c. It could not have reasonably been made at another time. d. It is provided for in the NFFE or AFGE Government collective bargaining agreement. d. Personal non-business calls. Use of GSA-provided employee telecommunications equipment, systems and services for personal non-business calls should be restricted to emergency calls and other calls determined to be in the interest of the Government. Additionally, personal non-business calls should not be made using a commercial telecommunications network or service (see Chapter 5). (1) Personal calls using commercial telephone services (i.e., services that are not provided under GSA’s standing wireline and wireless telecommunications service contracts) may be placed only if they meet the criteria in Chapter 5, and also meet one of the following criteria: a. Charged to the employee's home phone number or another non-Government phone number (third-number calls). b. Placed to a commercial toll-free (800) number. c. Charged to the called party if originating on a non-Government number (collect call). d. Charged to a personal telephone calling card or a personal credit card. (2) Employees who place personal calls using GSA-provided telecommunications equipment, systems or services must reimburse GSA for the full cost of these calls. Reimbursement will be based on the value of the call, computed on the basis of GSA’s actual cost. (3) GSA supervisors are responsible for the application and monitoring of these guidelines with respect to personal calls within their area of responsibility. 2. Data and Internet: In addition to GSA-provided network connectivity and systems (including UC audio/video/Web conferencing, unified messaging, etc.), this includes but is not limited to wireline and wireless Internet communications such as conducting Internet searches, participating on social media websites, accessing personal email accounts, and attending external Web conferences. a. Business data and Internet communications. This includes accessing Government information and