What's at Stake and Why Are These Actions Important?

Who controls the FCC? It certainly isn't you, the customer. Teletruth today filed a complaint about the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) because after serving on it for two years, it is clear that industry interests, and not customers, are in charge . I repeat, the industry is in charge of the Committee that is dedicated to consumers having a voice at the FCC.

For example, you still can't read your phone bill right? Wasn't the FCC supposed to make phone bills readable with "Truth-in-Billing"? Or when the phone, cable or media companies all want to merge, why did the FCC pursue a course to let them get larger and decrease choices?

Let me tell you a public secret ---- In 2003-2004, about 1/3 of the entire FCC Consumer Advisory Committee are the lawyers for these companies and associations — AT&T, BellSouth, Cingular, (BellSouth & SBC) Verizon (Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, GTE), MCI, Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, National Association of Broadcasters, Telecommunications Industry Association, and the National Cable Telecommunications Association.

That's almost all of the large phone companies, the wireless companies, the cable companies and broadcasters on a committee supposed to dedicated to make "recommendations to the FCC regarding consumer issues within the jurisdiction of the Commission and to facilitate the participation of consumers."

UPDATE: MARCH 8th, 2005 A new Committee was created (Word file) --- Same Problems:

OUTCOME: NOTHING HAPPENS:

However, because of all these industry players, everything is deadlocked or blocked -- the phone companies would never examine their own phone bills.

Even a recent report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found issues with the FCC's Advisory Committees. The name of the report says it all:

And after serving for 2 years, it's also clear that some of the 'consumer' groups, such as Alliance for Public Technology, and others are also funded by the phone companies. In fact, there's a network of companies created to fool the regulators, but funded by segments of the industry.--- pure skunkworks.

While many on the Committee are legitimate advocates for phone, broadband, Internet, disabilities or media issues, the big companies can block anything good that needs to be done for you, your company, your community -- whether it's broadband or media concentration, Internet regulations or phone services -- It's time to get this cleaned up now.

The Washington Post got it right:
"Next time, Powell might consider this radical idea: Appoint 35 ordinary consumers with no hidden agendas and no axes to grind,"

With Powell's upcoming departure, it's more important than ever that you get involved in the future of the FCC's CONSUMER policies.

To make the point clear, can you spot the mistakes on this SBC California phone bill, this Verizon New Jersey phone bill, or the truth-in-billing errors on this Verizon New York bill?

Other Items of Interest

Congress Needs to Investigate this Problem, NOW. The phone and media companies want new laws to make it even easier for them to give you less choice by putting competitors out of business and overcharging you through unreadable bills.

Contact the Senate Commerce Committee

Write the Commissioners --- Tell them you will not accept the phone and media companies control.

Phone Bills Are Readable and Accurate Says Lobbyists for the Phone and Wireless Companies:

In 2004, The FCC Consumer Advisory Committee had a panel to discuss "Truth-in-Billing" issues, meaning are phone bills readable and accurate. The lawyers for the USTA, a lobbying association for the Bell companies and CTIA, the lobbying group for the wireless companies (also controlled by the Bell companies) spoke. They both agreed that phone bills are readable and that there are not many billing problems.

Teletruth was bumped from presenting a major report on phone bills, which found that over 50% of phone bills have mistakes.

Click here for some of the testimony. Notice that we did not include any consumer statements - there are no consumers invited to speak about the problems with phone bills.