Anna Eshoo bill seeks truth in wireless advertising

People often gripe about dropped calls and painfully slow download speeds on their mobile phones — despite wireless carriers’ boasts to the contrary. Now Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) has a bill that she says would inject some truth in the wireless industry’s advertising claims of “lightning fast” and “supercharged.”

Called the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act, the bill would require the wireless industry to include information such as guaranteed minimum data speed, pricing and network reliability in carriers’ sale and billing material. It would also require the Federal Communications Commission to evaluate the speed and price of high-speed wireless data service. Rep Eshoo — whose district encompasses the heart of Silicon Valley, which also happens to be a hot spot for dropped calls — said the time has come to call wireless companies on their claims. “Consumers need to know the truth about the speeds they’re actually getting,” she said. Her legislation would “establish guidelines for understanding what 4G speed really is and ensure that consumers have all the information they need to make an informed decision.”