A cacophony of woe over indecipherable AT&T bill

[Commentary] I receive complaints almost every day from consumers who say their phone, cable and satellite bills are too darn hard to decipher.

Emily Rusch, executive director of the California Public Interest Research Group, said it appears that telecom companies go out of their way to make it difficult for customers to know what they're paying for. "Consumers are less likely to challenge a fee or cancel an optional service if they don't understand their options," she said. Telecom companies should be required to break down their bills in plain English, making clear what each charge or credit is for, as well as spelling out which charges are required by government entities and which ones are from the company. Bills also should include the Web address of a site where customers can obtain a more detailed accounting of statements, with plain-English explanations of each fee and tax.

The Federal Communication Commission has so-called truth-in-billing rules that require "non-misleading, plain language" on phone bills. But this isn't good enough. All telecom bills should be required to be truthful, and that includes honest explanations of what you're paying for.