Using a Custom GPT to Simplify Compliance for ISPs

Compliance is one of the most resource-intensive challenges broadband providers face. Between FCC filings, BEAD funding requirements, and SLA obligations, staying on top of deadlines and documentation can easily consume teams that are already stretched thin.

But there's a new tool ISPs can use to streamline compliance work: a custom GPT.

By building a GPT trained on your organization's compliance data, regulatory documents, and internal workflows, you can give your team a secure, always-available assistant to help manage reporting, track deadlines, and interpret policy changes—without the risk of missing something important.

Why Use a Custom GPT for Compliance?

A custom GPT doesn't replace your compliance team. It complements them by helping:

• Track and summarize regulatory changes

• Draft reminders or checklists for key FCC filings (BDC, ETRS, HUBB, etc.)

• Flag SLA reporting requirements

• Format reports or responses based on templates

• Answer common internal questions about compliance

And because you control the inputs and access, it's a powerful, private resource that reflects your regulatory environment, not generic web results.

How to Build and Use a Compliance GPT

1. Define the Use Cases

Start by identifying the most repetitive or error-prone compliance tasks on your team. Some examples might include:

• Tracking FCC reporting deadlines (BDC, HUBB, ETRS, etc.)

• Formatting and checking reports for completeness

• Interpreting changes in compliance requirements

• Creating reminders for SLA breaches or funding obligations

• Answering internal compliance-related questions

Your GPT doesn’t need to do everything—just the things that take your team the most time or result in the most friction.

2. Upload the Right Data

The more accurate and specific your data, the better your custom GPT will perform. Recommended inputs might include:

• Internal compliance SOPs

• Recent FCC filings and submission templates

• SLA documents and contract terms

• A timeline of annual reporting obligations

• BEAD guidelines and application materials

• Links to the FCC’s public data and documentation

You can also upload previous reporting examples, common internal questions, or FAQs from your regulatory team. Ensure files are up to date and organized. The GPT will use this as its knowledge base.

3. Set Clear Instructions

Custom GPTs work best when you give them a defined role. When setting up yours, include guidance like: 

"You are a compliance assistant for a broadband provider. Use the uploaded documents to help users understand deadlines, create reports, and respond to internal compliance questions."

You can even restrict it to just answering based on uploaded content, keeping responses focused, accurate, and legally sound. You can also prevent it from using outside data sources by restricting its access to only the files you upload.

4. Start Using It for Real Tasks

Once configured, your GPT can help with:

• "Summarize what’s changed in the 2025 FCC BDC reporting guidelines."

• "Create a checklist for this year’s HUBB and ETRS deadlines."

• "Draft an internal email reminder about upcoming SLA reporting."

• "What does the February 2025 DIRS update require from ISPs?"

• "Help format our quarterly BEAD compliance update."

This removes the need to dig through PDFs, emails, and outdated spreadsheets just to stay on track.

5. Review, Refine, Repeat

Just like any process, your GPT will improve over time. Encourage your team to use it actively, then collect feedback on:

• Where it was helpful

• Where it missed the mark

• What new documents or prompts should be added

You can continually upload new content (like FCC updates or training decks) to keep your GPT aligned with the latest requirements.

Keeping Your Data Secure: What ISPs Need to Know

Custom GPTs are powerful, but they must be deployed responsibly. Here’s how to make sure your use of AI aligns with your data security and regulatory obligations.

Free vs Paid ChatGPT: Know the Difference

• Free ChatGPT (web-based, non-enterprise)
  By default, OpenAI may use inputs from free ChatGPT users to improve its models. That means data entered is not fully private, even if you’re not uploading anything obviously sensitive.

• ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, or API Access
  These paid versions offer data privacy controls designed for businesses:

  • Inputs are not used to train future models

  • Data is stored more securely

  • Admins have access to workspace controls

For any compliance- or customer-related use, avoid using the free/public version. Choose a Team or Enterprise license or work directly with the OpenAI API or approved GPT builder partners.

Data Controls

If you're using the API or ChatGPT Team/Enterprise, make sure data logging is turned off. You can configure this via:

• ChatGPT Settings → Data Controls → Uncheck “Chat history & training”
  This ensures your prompts, documents, and responses are not stored or used to train future models.

For organizations, use admin controls to enforce this at the workspace level.

Set Clear Internal Boundaries

Make sure your team understands what can and cannot be shared with GPT tools, even private ones:

✅ Okay to include:

• Internal process documentation

• Public FCC or regulatory documents

• Anonymized templates or checklists

🚫 Never upload:

• Customer personally identifiable information (PII)

• Proprietary network configurations or IP address assignments

• BEAD application forms with identifiable metadata

• Login credentials or database exports

Provide a simple internal policy or “GPT Usage Guidelines” to avoid missteps.

Restrict Access to Internal Teams

If you're deploying a custom GPT:

• Keep it in a private environment (e.g., ChatGPT Teams, a secure OpenAI API app, or integrated into your internal systems)

• Use SSO or access permissions to ensure only authorized users can query it

• Set role-based permissions if it handles sensitive compliance info

Document What the GPT Can and Can’t Do

To reduce the risk of employees treating the GPT as an authoritative source on evolving regulations:

• Add clear system messages or prompt wrappers (e.g., “This GPT summarizes content from FCC sources. Always verify against official rules.”)

• Encourage human review for any regulatory or customer-facing output

  Why This Matters

As an ISP, you’re likely handling:

• FCC-mandated filings

• BEAD-related reporting

• Subscriber usage records

• SLAs tied to funding or business contracts

Even if you don’t think the GPT is handling customer data, it’s still touching operationally sensitive information. Taking these precautions ensures you stay compliant while using AI responsibly.

Final Thoughts

A custom GPT gives ISPs a smarter way to handle compliance. It helps reduce errors, free up your team from repetitive work, and ensure you never miss a key filing or obligation.

Used responsibly, it becomes a quiet force multiplier in your organization.

Want a ready-to-use version of this checklist?

Download the AI Usage & Privacy Checklist for ISPs and share it with your compliance, IT, or operations teams.

👉 Download the PDF Checklist