Wireless Companies Stave Off Regulation With New Usage Alerts
FCC agrees to put rulemaking on hold
Wireless companies dodged the heavy hand of government regulation today, agreeing to adopt consumer usage notification guidelines.
Next year, member companies of the CTIA-The Wireless Association, will start sending out free alerts to consumers when they're approaching plan limits on their wireless service. In exchange, the Federal Communications Commission has agreed to put on hold a rulemaking that would have codified the same guidelines the industry agreed to voluntarily adopt.
In announcing the voluntary guidelines, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the guidelines would go a long way toward stopping "bill shock" experienced by one in five cell phone consumers when they see unexpected charges on their bills.
The guidelines also help the wireless industry—which hasn't exactly warmed to regulation of the Internet and wireless—keep the FCC at bay.
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