[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 97 (Thursday, May 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28249-28250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12140]
[[Page 28249]]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[CG Docket No. 09-158; DA 10-803]
Comment Sought on Measures Designed To Assist U.S. Wireless
Consumers To Avoid ``Bill Shock''
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission seeks to gather information
on the feasibility of instituting usage alerts and cut-off mechanisms
similar to those required under the European Union (EU) regulations
that would provide wireless voice, text, and data consumers in the
United States a way to monitor, on a real-time basis, their usage of a
wireless communications service, as well as the various charges they
may incur in connection with such usage (e.g., roaming services, voice
service ``minute plans,'' text message plans). Specifically, the
Commission seeks comment on whether technological or other differences
exist that would prevent wireless providers in this country from
employing similar usage controls as those now required by the EU.
DATES: Comments are due on or before July 6, 2010. Reply comments are
due on or before July 19, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments and reply comments
identified by [CG Docket No. 09-158], by any of the following methods:
Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically
using the Internet by accessing the Commission's Electronic comment
Filing System (ECFS), through the Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/, or the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers should follow the instructions provided on
the Web site for submitting comments.
For ECFS filers, in completing the transmittal screen,
filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing
address, and the applicable docket number, which in this instance is
[CG Docket No. 09-158]. Parties may also submit an electronic comment
by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions, filers should send an
e-mail to [email protected], and include the following words in the body of
the message, ``get form .'' A sample form and
directions will be sent in response.
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must
file an original and four copies of each filing. Filings can be sent by
hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by
first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although the
Commission continues to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal
Service mail). All filings must be addressed to the Commission's
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings
for the Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at
445 12th St., SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours
are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with
rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before
entering the building.
Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton
Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority
mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard D. Smith, Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau, Policy Division, at (717) 338-2797
(voice), or e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its 2009 Consumer Information and
Disclosure NOI, the Commission sought comment on potential
opportunities for protecting and empowering American consumers by
ensuring access to relevant information about communications services.
See 2009 Consumer Information and Disclosure; Truth-in-Billing and
Billing Format; IP-Enabled Services, CG Docket No. 09-158; CC Docket
No. 98-870; WC Docket No. 04-36, Notice of Inquiry, 24 FCC Rcd 11380
(2009) (2009 Consumer Information and Disclosure NOI). This is a
summary of the Commission's Public Notice DA 10-803. Pursuant to 47 CFR
1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, interested parties may file
comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated above.
This proceeding shall be treated as a permit-but-disclose proceeding
under the ex parte rules, which are codified at 47 CFR 1.1200(a) and
1.1206. Therefore, ex parte presentations will be allowed but must be
disclosed in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 1.1206(b) of the
Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 1.1206(b). Persons making oral ex parte
presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentations
must contain summaries of the substance of the presentations and not
merely a listing of the subjects discussed. More than a one or two
sentence description of the views and arguments presented is generally
required. See 47 CFR 1.1206(b). Other rules pertaining to oral and
written ex parte presentations in permit-but-disclose proceedings are
set forth in Sec. 1.1206(b) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR
1.1206(b).
The full text of document DA 10-803 and any subsequently filed
documents in this matter will be available for public inspection and
copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information
Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC
20554, (202) 418-0270. Document DA 10-803 and any subsequently filed
documents in this matter may also be purchased from the Commission's
duplicating contractor at the contractor's Web site, http://www.bcpiweb.com, or by calling (800) 378-3160. Furthermore, document DA
10-803 and any subsequently filed documents in this matter may be found
by searching ECFS at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs (insert [CG Docket No.
09-158] into the Proceeding block).
To request materials in accessible formats for people with
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format),
send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
Document DA 10-803 can also be downloaded in Word or Portable Document
Format (PDF) at: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/policy/headlines.html.
Synopsis
In the 2009 Consumer Information and Disclosure NOI, the Commission
sought comment on potential opportunities for protecting and empowering
American consumers by ensuring access to relevant information about
communications services. Among other things, the Commission noted that
advances in technology, including usage alerts delivered via text
message, other usage controls, and online comparison tools, offer ``new
opportunities to improve the kind and degree of information available
to consumers.'' On the issue of usage alerts, the Commission asked
whether consumers can be provided with ``more useful information about
their service usage once they are using a plan to prevent them from
incurring unexpected charges, or to adjust their plan as their usage
patterns change.'' It also sought information concerning how widespread
the practice of usage alerts is and, where such controls are used,
whether the consumer is alerted prior to incurring additional charges,
or only
[[Page 28250]]
after the consumer has exceeded some threshold level of charges or
minutes. Finally, the Commission sought comment on the level of cost
detail typically included in usage alert messages.
In June 2009, the EU adopted regulations governing the transparency
of retail roaming charges incurred by European wireless customers for
voice calls, text messaging, and data services when traveling to other
EU markets. Certain of these provisions, commonly referred to as the
``bill shock'' provisions, are designed to ensure that a consumer is
fully aware of the roaming charges he or she is incurring so that the
consumer does not receive a higher than expected bill for these
services. A number of EU mobile service providers had already
implemented procedures to combat the problem of ``bill shock'' prior to
the adoption of the June 2009 regulations. Under the new EU
regulations, when a wireless consumer places a voice call or text
message in an EU market other than the consumer's home market, the
consumer's home market provider must send to the consumer, free of
charge, a text message detailing roaming prices for sending and
receiving voice calls and text messages. The consumer may elect not to
receive this automatic notification service, but the service must be
provided again, free of charge, upon request by the consumer. The new
EU regulations also require that wireless providers notify a consumer
using a data roaming service when the consumer has reached 80 percent
of an agreed upon limit (either a default limit or a customer-
designated limit). When a consumer exceeds the established monetary or
volume roaming limit, the provider must send another notification
explaining the applicable costs and procedures if the consumer wishes
to continue using the data roaming service. At that point, the provider
must cease providing the service pending further instruction from the
consumer.
In this document, the Commission seeks to gather information on the
feasibility of instituting usage alerts and cut-off mechanisms similar
to those required under the EU regulations that would provide wireless
voice, text, and data consumers in the United States a way to monitor,
on a real-time basis, their usage of a wireless communications service,
as well as the various charges they may incur in connection with such
usage (e.g., roaming services, voice service ``minute plans,'' text
message plans). Specifically, the Commission seeks comment on whether
technological or other differences exist that would prevent wireless
providers in this country from employing similar usage controls as
those now required by the EU.
The Commission also seeks comment on the extent to which consumers
currently have the means at their disposal to monitor their wireless
usage and are fully aware of the consequences of exceeding their
predetermined allocations of voice minutes, text message limits, or
data usage. To what extent are U.S. providers already offering such
features, and at what cost to the consumer and/or to the provider? Do
certain usage controls lend themselves more to one type of service
(such as voice) than to another (such as data)? To what extent is such
information currently accessible via wireless devices by people with
disabilities, and in particular by people who are blind or low vision
who need on-screen text and other visual indicators to be accompanied
by audio output? Would a requirement for certain types of usage
controls prevent or help consumers with hearing, visual, cognitive or
other disabilities in receiving the information they need to
effectively monitor their usage? The Commission seeks comment on these
and other issues relevant to whether it should adopt usage control
measures that will help consumers to avoid receiving higher than
expected bills for their wireless communications services.
All comments should refer to CG Docket No. 09-158. Further, the
Commission strongly encourages parties to develop responses that adhere
to the organization and structure of the questions in the Public Notice
DA 10-803.
Colleen Heitkamp,
Division Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal
Communications Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010-12140 Filed 5-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P