Sen Udall encourages FCC to make 'bill shock' rules

Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to urge it to consider making new regulations to protect consumers from "bill shock," an issue he also addressed in legislation introduced last month.

"Bill shock" is the alarm consumers are said to feel when see their monthly phone bills are higher than expected. An FCC survey this year said one in six consumers have experienced that. "I encourage you to consider the notification and customer consent principles of the Cell Phone Bill Shock Act in order to help consumers avoid bill shock," Udall said in his letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. He notably stopped short of calling on the FCC to make rules forcing wireless carriers to halt service, including voice and text capabilities, to customers who have exceeded their monthly plans. That provision appears in Udall's "bill shock" legislation.