WASHINGTON-Former federal telecom regulator Rachelle Chong wasted no time as the newest member of the California Public Utilities Commission in making her presence known, joining other state regulators in recommending wireless truth-in-billing be national in scope and that states be preempted from enforcing such rules of their own.
At the same time, Chong and 10 other state regulators told the Federal Communications Commission, “although we support a national billing regime, we are not in support of federal preemption of all communications related issues, and our support of a truly national regulatory framework should not be construed as an argument that generally applicable state consumer protection, fraud and deceptive business practices should no longer be applicable.”
The FCC last year extended federal truth-in-billing rules to the wireless industry, while pre-empting states from regulating line items in wireless bills. The FCC ruling is being challenged in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.
The FCC currently is considering other truth-in-billing regulations geared to the wireless industry. One proposed change would pre-empt inconsistent state regulation of telecom carrier-specific truth-in-billing rules.
