WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has released the text of its notice of proposed rule making on calling party pays. The CPP item was adopted by the FCC at its Wireless Day in June.
CPP is similar to long-distance toll calling, where the person placing the call to a wireless subscriber pays for the call rather than the wireless subscriber. CPP is the norm in Europe, while American carriers traditionally have required the subscriber to pay all charges related to mobile phone usage. The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association petitioned the FCC to allow for nationwide CPP, claiming it would increase competition and wireless phone use.
The FCC is expected to work with state regulators and the wireless industry to come up with an acceptable way to notify customers the calling party will be charged. The FCC hopes to make a final decision on CPP early next year, said Thomas Sugrue, chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
