Commissioner Carl Wood of the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) today issued the final draft of his proposed Telecommunications Consumer Bill of Rights, which details 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.
The rules apply to all forms of telecommunications service-local and long-distance, wireline and wireless, and prepaid phone cards and services.
The consumer protection safeguards detailed in the Bill of Rights include issues such as carrier disclosure, marketing practices, service initiation and changes, billing, late-payment penalties, contract changes, privacy and emergency 911 service.
“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.”
Parties may file comments pointing out factual, legal or technical errors in the draft decision by Aug. 24. Any replies to those comments must be filed by Sept. 4. Commissioner Wood’s Draft Decision is scheduled to appear for a vote on the commission’s regular meeting Agenda for Sept. 18.
The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) was not happy with the draft, stating industry self-regulation is a better option. “The industry has proposed its own self-regulatory plan that will protect consumers without risking higher prices and job losses,” said CTIA President Tom Wheeler. “Doesn’t it make more sense for the CPUC to give the industry plan a chance before declaring it a non-starter?
“The last set of proposed CPUC rules would have cost California wireless consumers $6 to $12 per month. It would have cost the state of California 12,300 jobs and $2.3 billion in negative impact, according to an LECG economic analysis. Who knows what this set of rules will cost Californians?”
