FCC Wants Cell Phone Companies to Warn You About Overages

The Federal Communications Commission wants the big cell phone companies to let you know when you've talked, texted, or surfed too much. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is pushing hard for regulations that would address the issue of "bill shock," which many a teenager (and parent of a teenager) know all too well.

The wireless industry trade group, CTIA, has disputed the validity of the findings of a study that preceded Genachowski's new campaign.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is also scheduled to appear at an event in D.C. on Wednesday where he will discuss the commission's efforts to prevent "bill shock" and outline the findings of a new FCC white paper on the subject.

In May, the FCC announced that its consumer task force was examining the issue of "bill shock," or unexpected charges on a cell phone bill, and asked stakeholders to submit comments about it.

At the time, the FCC said it was considering a plan that would require carriers to send text messages when users are running up roaming charges or are close to hitting their data limit, a process that has been in use in the European Union since June 2009.

Read the full story at PC Mag.

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http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/10/fcc-wants-cell-phone-companies-to-warn-you-about-overages/64515/