FCC considers new rules: crackdown on arbitrary charges by operators

Sina Science and technology news Beijing time June 21 morning, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will consider the development of new rules to prevent mobile operators to arbitrary charges to users.　　Julius Genachowski, chairman of the FCC, said in Monday that the agency would begin to consider new ways to protect consumers and prevent operators from imposing Julies Gnakoski charges. The imposition of charges refers to the addition of unauthorized or misleading charges to the user's bill by the operator.　　FCC officials cite an example of this: a Saint Louis woman was charged a two-year long service fee, but she has never registered for the service. It is unclear exactly what the FCC will do, but officials say the new rules will focus on "transparency and openness".　　The FCC has set some rules for fraudulent fees. The FCC last week imposed a fine of 11.7 million dollars on four small operators, accusing them of charging users for long-distance charges without authorization.　　The FCC can only penalize operators for false fees, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has additional jurisdiction to stop similar behaviour in other companies.　　The American Telecommunication Association (USTelecom Association), which represents the interests of operators, supports efforts to address the problem of arbitrary charges, and its members "protect users by continually improving processes to avoid unauthorized fees".　　AT&T also issued a statement saying that the company has taken some measures to avoid imposing charges, and its 2010-year forced-fee complaints decreased by 72%. The FCC in Monday called on users to scrutinize phone bills and consult operators about suspicious costs.　　The agency is also investigating complaints. As part of a broad user protection program, Gnakoski has pledged to take stringent measures against forced charges.　　However, the agency has yet to issue new rules on the disclosure of bills. The FCC began studying new rules last October to avoid a higher-than-expected bill from users. The agency has solicited views from all parties, but no further action has been taken.　　Gnakoski said in Monday that the FCC would continue to push the process "in the near future". The FCC made a similar effort in 2009 to consider revising the rules to allow operators to provide more detailed information about billing charges, but has not yet been completed. (PEI)