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Mobile Phone Program Frequently Asked Questions

Please note the following information is a working draft. As common questions and answers are identified they will be pulled into the FAQ for publication. 

What is the Mobile Phone Program? 

The Mobile Phone Program serves to align with best practices and user needs as well as to provide guidance and establish parameters for a more equitable approach for the issuance of mobile phones, while encouraging the use of all viable collaboration and communication options provided by the University (i.e., Microsoft Teams, Outlook email, Zoom, OneDrive). Visit this page for full details about the program. 

Who is eligible to participate in the Mobile Phone Program? 

The Mobile Phone Program is available to full-time employees and all RCs are responsible for overseeing the enrollment and management of mobile phones for their respective unit. Employees must meet at least one of the eligibility requirements for enrollment in the Mobile Phone Program. RCs have the authority to establish stricter eligibility requirements than those outlined here, as well as opt-out of providing cell phones and/or monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payments to support the business use of a personal cell phone plan to employees.

How do I enroll in the Mobile Phone Program?
Enrollment in the Mobile Phone Program requires a Mobile Phone Justification form to be signed by the employee, the employee’s supervisor, and the RC Financial Approver.
Who determines the eligibility for enrollment in the Mobile Phone Program?
The individual's supervisor and/or an individual with direct knowledge of the work being performed by the employee determines the business need based on the job responsibilities of the individual. The individuals' supervisor should coordinate with the RC Financial Approver to validate enrollment needs.
I believe I am eligible for enrollment in the program based on the eligibility requirements, but my RC denied my request, what should I do?  
A Responsibility Center may elect to opt-out of participation or enforce stricter eligibility requirements, if desired. 
When will the eligible employee receive their first monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone that meets program eligibility criteria under Tier II?
The Payroll Department will process the template provided by Payment Processing & Compliance once per month before the payroll cut-off date for the monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payments to support the business use of a personal cell phone that meets program eligibility under Tier II. For the phased roll-out of the MPP, the following cut off dates determine when the eligibile individuals will receive their first payment:
  • The pilot was received before the payroll cut off for October Eligibile individuals who are part of the pilot phase will receive their $30 payment with their October pay.
  • The cutoff for November is 10/30 so any approved enrollment provided to payroll on the template will be processed for monthly and the first bi-weekly pay in November.
  • The cutoff for December is 11/27 so any approved enrollment provided to payroll on the template will be processed for monthly and the first bi-weekly pay in December.
  • The cutoff for January is 1/8 so any approved enrollment provided to payroll on the template will be processed for monthly and the first bi-weekly pay in January.
  • After that, all initial templates will be completed and in force until January 1, 2025. During December 2024, the Payroll Department will be sending out the existing templates for review and approval and once the Payroll Department receives them back, they will be uploaded for the next year. Once the initial loads are complete, the RC Financial Approver or MPP delegate will be able to add new or terminate an employee’s Tier II payment via the ICP process.
Why do I need to provide a redacted phone bill to my Department to enroll under Tier II?
The University requires a current, redacted, phone bill (within 45 days of enrollment) to align with federal guidance on non-taxable payments for mobile phones and that the monthly recurring payment will not exceed the expenses the employee incurs to maintain a cell phone.
Am I required to provide a phone number to my Department when enrolled as Tier II?
Yes, the eligibility requirements are such that an employee must be accessible by phone and does not have access to their University issued computer or other forms of communication. The employee is not required to provide a personal phone number and may opt to forward their University extension to their personal phone to meet this requirement.  
What if my preference is to use Teams calling but my department has not implemented MS Teams?
If your department has not transferred to Teams-only, the individual must discuss their preference of MS Teams with their RC Financial Approver before transitioning to MS Teams. There are telecom costs associated with teams only calling. 
If I download the MS Teams to my personal phone, will it use my data plan? 
If you are only connected to cellular data (4G/LTE/5G), your data will be used if you receive or make Teams calls from the MS Teams app on your personal cell phone. It is strongly recommended that individuals be connected to WiFi when using the MS Teams apps on their personal cell phone to avoid using personal data.
If I already have a University-owned mobile phone, and I am not eligible for Tier I enrollment for the Mobile Phone Program, can I keep my phone? 
Yes. Employees who currently have a University-provided cell phone, but are not eligible for enrollment in the Tier I group may keep their cell phone, at no charge, to transition the cell phone to a personal account. The individual should coordinate with the RC Financial Approver to transition the cell phone to a personal account. This is a one-time offer during the program implementation only. Employees may not keep their University provided cell phones after December 2023.
Are there any specific policies or guidelines I need to follow while using my personal cell phone in the Mobile Phone Program?
Yes, it is essential to protect University data that may reside on a personal cell phone. All employees who access University data using a personal cell phone must comply with the University’s Information Technology Policies, particularly A0 10 Computer Access and Use (formerly 10-02-05), Mobile Device Security Guidelines, Data Risk Classification and Compliance, Downloading University Data Standard, and standards for HIPAA compliance, as published. 

Violations in any of these areas may result in both administrative action and potential civil claims. Important areas to consider include: 

  • HIPAA and protected health information 
  • FERPA and education records 
  • Proprietary business information and trade secrets 
  • GDPR and international data privacy requirements 
  • University license agreements for software, trademarks, and copyrightable material 
  • The Digital Millennium Copyright Act 
  • Pennsylvania’s Data Breach Notification Law 
Can I still access University resources and applications on my personal cell phone?
Yes, an employee may access university resources on their personal cell phone. Pitt IT has implemented measures though multifactor authentication which protects credentials and requires an individual to login through SSO from their personal cell phone.  

Upon enrollment in the program, employees agree to protect University data that may reside on a mobile communication cell phone. All employees who access University data using a mobile communication cell phone must comply with the University’s Information Technology Policies, particularly A0 10 Computer Access and Use (formerly 10-02-05), Mobile Device Security Guidelines, Data Risk Classification and Compliance, Downloading University Data Standard, and standards for HIPAA compliance, as published. 

Will my university owned cell phone, issued with my enrollment in Tier I of the program be supported by the University’s IT Department?
No, the individual and/or Department should contact the service provider for troubleshooting and support of the cell phone.
Will phone lines experience service disruptions during the enrollment process?
  • For lines which are not eligible for the MPP: Once the RC Financial Approver (RCFA) or their delegate returns the RC workbook as part of the enrollment, Payment Processing & Compliance sends that spreadsheet to Pitt Information Technology (IT) who will either be deactivating (per request) or releasing the line so that the phone holder can transfer the line to their personal account without disruption within a 30-day grace period. After the 30-day grace period, the line will be deactivated if no action is taken by the phone holder to transfer the line to their personal account. If the RCFA/their delegate requests any mobile phones to be deactivated, that will be handled by Pitt IT at that time.
  • For Tier I: Once the RCFA or their delegate returns the RC workbook as a part of enrollment, the mobile phone carrier will create a separate account for the RC and convert the mobile phone lines over from being under Pitt IT’s carrier account to now being under the RC’s carrier accounts and there will be no disruption in service.
  • For Tier II: Once the RCFA or their delegate returns the RC workbook as part of the enrollment, Payment Processing & Compliance sends that spreadsheet to Pitt IT will either be deactivating (per request) or releasing the line so that the phone holder can transfer the line to their personal account without disruption within a 30-day grace period. After that 30-day grace period the line will be deactivated if no action is taken by the phone holder to transfer the line to their personal account. If the RCFA/their delegate request any mobile phones to be deactivated, they will be deactivated by Pitt IT at that time. For phone holders who qualify for Tier II of the MPP program, once their Pitt phone has been transferred to a personal account or deactivated, they will receive a $30 monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone that meets program eligibility criteria.
The monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone that I receive is not enough to cover my entire phone bill. May I request an increase for the balance?
No. The intent of the monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment is to provide support to defray the cost for business-related activity on a personal mobile phone without the employee having to submit documentation for business-related calls. The monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone is not intended to cover personal use of the phone
I believe that the monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone that I receive is not sufficient to cover the business use of my personal phone. May I request an increased non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment?
No. The University’s program is designed to minimize burdensome record keeping and detailed accounting in accordance with federal guidelines. The University will review the amount of the monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone periodically.
Does everyone get a monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personally owned and managed mobile phone? 
No. The Responsibility Center is responsible for determining if the individual’s job duties qualify the individual for enrollment in the Tier II of the program to qualify for monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone.
I am enrolled under Tier II and I want to terminate my service contract. Who is liable for the termination fees?
For Tier II, personally-owned and enabled phones, the employee is responsible for paying the monthly bill plus additional charges, including termination fees.
What actions should the Respnsibility Center (RC) take if an individual leaves the University or if their eligibility status has changed?
Depending on the tier enrollment, the RC should ensure the monthly non-taxable, working condition fringe benefit payment to support the business use of a personal cell phone is discontinued and/or retrieve the cell phone and accessories from the individual. Refer to the enrollment termination process for more information.
Am I eligible for enrollment if I meet the eligibility criteria for less than the one-year eligibility period?
No. The eligibility criteria must apply to the employee for the full one-year duration of the eligibility period (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31). If the employee has a need for a phone, consider leveraging the loaner program offered by Pitt IT. 
What other communication tools are available to me as a University employee?
Pitt IT provides access to communication and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Zoom. You can find more information on their website, on the following topics:
Is it possible to port a number to a Google Voice account?
Porting numbers to a personal Google Voice account is possible. The University would release the number so it can be ported and then the end user would initiate the port from the carrier. The key thing to understand here is that they need to use a Non-Pitt email account for the Google Voice account.
Who can I contact with questions?
Please contact Purchase, Pay &Travel Customer Service with any questions related to the new Mobile Phone Program. For any questions related to using supplemental communication tools such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, please contact Pitt IT. 
Can those phone holders that are eligible for Tier II of the Mobile Phone Program be grandfathered into the current plan through Pitt? 

No, these phone holders must utilize a personal consumer plan moving forward and are not able to be grandfathered into any prior Pitt plans.  

Can those phone holders that are eligible for Tier II of the Mobile Phone Program transfer their Pitt-owned phone to a different carrier than the one it was on with the current plan through Pitt?

Your Pitt-owned phone may not be able to be transferred to a different carrier than the one it was on with the Pitt plan (Verizon or AT&T). The phone holder should call the applicable carrier to inquire. Note that iPhones purchased directly through Apple are generally not tied to a specific carrier, but phone holders should contact their carrier if their phone was purchased directly through a certain carrier to check on the ability to transfer between carriers.