Senators Call For Wireless Bill, Contract Transparency

SENATORS CALL FOR WIRELESS BILL, CONTRACT TRANSPARENCY
[SOURCE: PCMag.com, AUTHOR: Chloe Albanesius]
Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) plan to introduce the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act. The bill would require wireless providers to provide clear and concise outlines of services provided, allow for 30-day trial periods and allow consumers to more easily exit their contracts if that provider is not providing an adequate level of service. Specifically the bill calls on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to come up with regulations that would pro-rate early termination fees (ETF). At minimum, the ETF for a two-year contract should be reduced by half after one year, according to the bill. Also on the contract front, the bill calls on providers to notify customers of contract extensions at point-of-sale and allow for cancellation within 30 days for any reason. Carriers also have to tell customers about rate changes 30 days before they go into effect. The measure also calls on providers to give consumers access to detailed maps prior to sign-up to check whether or not they will get service in their homes. It also calls on wireless providers to hand over information on dropped calls and coverage gaps to the FCC, which will make the information publicly available. Wireless bills would be slightly revamped under this legislation, which calls for taxes and fees to be listed in a separate section of the bill and roaming charges to be itemized. Providers would also be banned from listing any charges and fees besides wireless service charge and authorized federal, state, or local regulations. The FCC would also be required to look into the practice of handset locking and submit a report to Congress about the effect the practice has on consumer behavior and competition.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2180113,00.asp