Godlike Productions - News: FCC Considers Ways to Simplify Cellphone Bills

07:58 PM

News

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Breaking News Back

FCC Considers Ways to Simplify Cellphone Bills

Wall Street Journal

2009-10-14

Comments are filing in to the Federal Communications Commission’s request for input on simplifying wireless bills.

The deadline comes amid a thicket of consumer-focused fee news, from credit cards to overdraft fees. Consumer advocates are arguing for more transparency in billing, both when shopping around for plans and for existing mobile subscribers.

Filing comment Tuesday is BillShrink.com, a site that analyzes the fine print of credit card bills and user profiles to find the cheapest cellphone plan. The average consumer overspends $300 on her cellphone plan a year, Schwark Satyavolu, BillShrink’s co-founder and president, said. In the last five months, the site has found $800 million in potential savings on cellphone plans.

“The plans are complicated,” he said, “and there’s no way for consumers to stay on top of that.”

BillShrink’s comment suggests that things like roaming costs should be explained to prospective customers before they sign up for a plan, as well as more clearly available on the site’s list of wireless providers. Customers often don’t notice the details of allotted minutes and usage fees until they exceed them, Mr. Satyavolu said.

Information on geographic coverage and dropped calls should be more readily available, the comment said. Getting an apples-to-apples comparison between T-Mobile’s striped green bars and Verizon Wireless’s giant red blob of coverage is virtually impossible, Mr. Satyavolu said. Many consumers don’t realize that relevant areas may be under-serviced until they’re several months into their contracts.

The BillShrink comment argues for more upfront information about cellphone-contract termination and requests the ability for consumers to be able to scale back or add on to existing contracts. Breaking down the anatomy of the monthly bill — taxes, basic plan charges and additional fees — should also be clearer on monthly billing statements, as well as online.

The FCC deadline comes on the heels of news this month that iPhone users can now run Skype over AT&T’s 3G network and that Verizon and Google reached an agreement to deliver mobile devices and applications.

New FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is already garnering positive reviews for his action toward cellphone companies.

CTIA, the wireless-industry trade group, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Email Article

Discuss in the Forum

Back

Disclaimer:
This website exists for entertainment purposes only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. Moderators on this forum make every effort to review the material posted on this site however, it is not realistically possible for our small staff to manually review each and every one of the more than 10,000 posts GodlikeProductions gets on a daily basis.

The content of post on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or administration of GodlikeProductions. This site may contain adult content and if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.

Not all posts on this website are intended as truthful or factual assertion by their authors. Some users of this website are participating in internet role playing, with or without the use of an avatar. NO post on this website should be considered factual information on face value alone. Users are encouraged to USE DISCERNMENT and do their own follow up research while reading and posting on this website. Godlikeproductions.com reserves the right to make changes to, corrections and/or remove entirely at any time posts made on this website without notice. In addition, Godlikeproductions.com disclaims any and all liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of a post on this website.

This site is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. You should not assume that this site is error-free or that it will be suitable for the particular purpose which you have in mind when using it. In no event shall Godlikeproductions.com be liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind, or any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this site or other documents which are referenced by or linked to this site.

Some events depicted in certain posting and threads on this website may be fictitious and any similarity to any person living or dead is merely coincidental. Some other articles may be based on actual events but which in certain cases incidents, characters and timelines have been changed for dramatic purposes. Certain characters may be composites, or entirely fictitious.

We do not discriminate against the mentally ill!

Fair Use Notice:
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C.Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
For more information please visit:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Please be aware any communications sent complaining about a post on this website may be posted publicly at the discretion of the administration.

This Disclaimer is subject to change at anytime.

Mail Webmaster with questions or comments about this site.

Privacy Policy - Terms Of Use

Copyright 1999-2009 © GodLikeProductions.com

Page generated in 0.002s (1 queries)