Cell Phone Regulations to Be Tightened in California

Commissioner Carl Wood of the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has published the final draft of his proposed Telecommunications Consumer Bill of Rights, which details the fundamental consumer rights that all communications service providers must respect, as well as a set of consumer protection rules all carriers must follow to protect those rights.

"This Bill of Rights is the most comprehensive set of consumer protection rules for telecommunication consumers in the country," said Commissioner Wood. "With the rapidly changing face of the telecommunications industry, these rights are essential to protect consumers and to allow the PUC to evenhandedly enforce such protections."

The consumer protection safeguards detailed in the Bill of Rights include such issues as carrier disclosure; marketing practices; service initiation and changes and services; deposits to establish or reestablish service; billing; billing disputes; late-payment penalties, backbilling and prorating; tariff changes, contract changes, transfers, withdrawals and notices; service termination; privacy; PUC Consumer Affairs Branch requests for information; and Emergency 911 service.

One proposal that will undoubtedly upset local cellular carriers will be the requirement to allow customer to terminate their cell phone agreement within 45 days of signing up if they are unhappy with the local coverage.

This proceeding will remain open to consider whether the Commission should implement a telecommunications consumer education program, and if so, how it should be structured; whether to curtail the Commission-sanctioned limitation of liability; and whether additional rules are needed requiring that communications directed at consumers be in languages other than English."

Posted to the site on 31st July 2003