FCC to Approve Rules to Make Carriers Warn Customers of Potential Overages

Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said the FCC will be proposing rules tomorrow that will require phone carriers to alert their customers, via voicemail or text message, when they’re close to going over their monthly usage limits.

Among the carriers opposed to the rules, Verizon Wireless agrees that customers should have easy access to clear data regarding their usage, but carriers shouldn’t be forced to babysit their customers considering most carriers have already developed and released various tools for customers to monitor their own usage.

While this is true, Genachowski says, “Most people still don’t know what a megabyte is, so it’s hard to expect them to know when they have reached their limits.”

In light of recent epidemics of mystery fees, the FCC seems to be taking further steps to prevent unsuspecting customers from being victims of unclear usage. Good work, FCC.

(The New York Times via Engadget)

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James Plafke