Mobile-phone companies led by AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless would need to alert subscribers in danger of incurring extra fees under a rule proposed Thursday by U.S. regulators to fight “bill shocks.”
The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 to start writing regulations aimed at giving subscribers notice when they are close to the monthly limits on their service plan. Mobile-phone companies said rules aren’t needed.
“People should be told that they’re risking extra fees before they incur them,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachow ski said. “There are ways to prevent bill shocks easily and inexpensively, using technology widely available today.”
The agency also voted Thursday to make it easier for cable-TV customers to use set-top boxes from a retailer.
