WASHINGTON-The nation’s six national mobile-phone carriers have filed suits in California federal court challenging the bill of rights for telecom consumers approved in May by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Nextel Communications Inc. filed its suit separately, while Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Sprint PCS, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and T-Mobile U.S.A. filed jointly last week.
The bill of rights imposes a new regime of regulations on wireless carriers in California.
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Amid the litigation, Nextel and Cingular Wireless have asked the CPUC for additional time to comply with the bill of rights.
Mobile-phone carriers in the state have to meet many provisions of the bill of rights over the next six months. But Cingular and Nextel argue certain rules require changes to information technology and billing systems that cannot be accomplished by CPUC deadlines.