Rural phone companies: Blame big carriers for 'bill shock'

Rural phone companies said they should not have to follow "bill shock" regulations just because bigger phone companies are failing their customers.

"Rural and regional carriers should not be subjected to a bill shock mandate as a result of the largest national carriers' inability to provide quality and informative customer service," said Steven Berry, president and chief executive of the Rural Cellular Association (RCA). He said that if the FCC adopts regulations to force wireless companies to notify customers before and when they have reached limits in their monthly payment plans, it should be careful to make them "flexible" enough so they do not cripple rural carriers. "Automatic bill shock alerts will impose an undue and burdensome cost, which will ultimately be borne by the rural consumer, for rural and regional carriers to implement," said the RCA.