As of October 2026, TSI collects final-billed balances and unreturned-equipment charges for wireless, cable and broadband providers through its Accounts Receivable Management (ARM) service. Its CXBPO service runs customer care and payment calls in your name. You set settlement limits, return-credit rules and when an account moves to collection.
Got a letter or call from TSI about your own account? Go to the Consumer Support Hub
Why disconnected accounts leak money
A disconnected account is small, so nobody fights for it. Multiply it by a few hundred thousand and it’s a line on the CFO’s slide.
Telecom collections leaders tell the same story. The balances are low, the volume is high, and the data on each account is often stale by the time it’s placed.
"It costs more to call than the bill is worth"
A $90 final bill can’t carry a long phone campaign. Low balances need cheap channels that work first, and calls only where they pay.
"The router is in a closet in another state"
Unreturned equipment is a balance and an asset. Some customers would rather send the box back than pay for it, if someone tells them how.
"Our old agency still has our customers' data"
The carrier answers for customer information an agency holds, and data can outlive the contract. Recall and destruction at exit matter as much as recovery.
"We want them back as customers next year"
A former subscriber treated badly in collections won’t reconnect. Tone has a resale value here.
How TSI works your accounts
- Take placements on your schedule
Final-billed accounts arrive by secure file transfer from your billing system, daily or on the cycle you choose, with recall and payment files flowing back. - Sort by balance and contact history
Accounts are scrubbed for bankruptcy and deceased customers, then grouped by balance, age and contact data. Low balances start with letters, email and text, and live calls go where they pay. - Make paying or returning simple
Customers pay online, by phone, by mail or with digital wallets, around the clock. Where your program credits returned equipment, collectors explain your return process. - Keep the brand voice on the phone
Collectors and CXBPO agents work from scripts you approve, in English and Spanish, with an interpreter service for other languages. Compliance scores collector calls on 28 compliance attributes. - Close cleanly
Disputes pause collection while TSI checks your records. At contract end, accounts are recalled and data is returned or destroyed on the terms in your contract.
TSI services that fit telecom and cable
Third-party collections
Final bills and equipment charges after disconnect, across first, second and warehouse placements.
First-party collections
Past-due reminders in your name before disconnect or final bill. First-party collections
Demand letters
Low-cost written demands for small balances, on the schedule you set.
CXBPO customer care
Billing, payment and account calls in your name, from agents trained on your systems. CXBPO
Back-office processing
Account updates, adjustments and written requests worked to your rules.
Providers that also sell power or water can compare notes on collections and customer care for utilities.
Rules that shape telecom collections
Federal law puts customer data duties on the provider, and they travel with the account. Under 47 U.S.C. 222(a), every telecommunications carrier “has a duty to protect the confidentiality” of customer proprietary information. Cable operators must destroy subscriber information once it’s no longer needed for the purpose it was collected (47 U.S.C. 551(e)).
Breach timing is set too. The FCC’s rule at 47 CFR 64.2011 has carriers notify the Secret Service and FBI within 7 business days of determining a CPNI breach.
Collection contact rules apply on top. Third-party collection follows the FDCPA and Regulation F call limits. New York City’s SHIELD rule adds a cap of 3 contacts per account in 7 days from Jan 1, 2027, and it reaches original creditors once their own collection procedures start.
TSI doesn’t decide disconnections, set your equipment fees or buy accounts. It doesn’t pick up equipment from customers’ homes. Outage and storm surge staffing is a separate CXBPO scope.
Frequently asked questions
Does TSI collect for wireless, cable and broadband providers?
Yes. TSI collects final-billed balances and unreturned-equipment charges after disconnect, and its CXBPO line handles customer care in the provider’s name.
How does TSI handle very low balances?
Small balances start with letters, email and text and self-service payment, so the cost to collect stays in line with the balance. Live calls go to accounts where they’re likely to pay.
What happens to our customer data when the contract ends?
Accounts are recalled, and data is returned or destroyed on the schedule your contract sets. Ask every agency you use, TSI included, what it still holds today.
Can TSI run care and collections together?
Yes. CXBPO agents can take billing and payment calls in your name while ARM works final bills, with one set of scripts and reporting you approve.
Find out what your disconnected accounts are worth
The Recovery Performance Diagnostic sets baseline economics on one placement tier, reviews channel mix and complaints, and designs a carve-out you can measure. To compare your current agencies first, run their placements through the agency net-back calculator.
General information, current as of October 27, 2026. It isn’t legal advice. Rules change and differ by state, so check the sources linked here and talk to your own counsel before you act on it.