CTIA, FCC and Consumers Union Announce Free Alerts to Help Consumers Avoid Unexpected Overage Charges

In a press announcement today with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Consumers Union Parul Desai, CTIA President and CEO Steve Largent announced the "Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines," as an addition to our "Consumer Code for Wireless Service."

As a result, wireless providers will send free alerts to subscribers to help them manage their usage and avoid unexpected overage charges for data, voice, messaging and international roaming. Consumers will not need to sign-up to receive these free alerts.

Participating providers will offer their customers at least two of the four notifications by October 17, 2012 and all of the alerts by April 17, 2013.

Of course, many of our members already provide several account management tools.

As Steve said in his remarks this morning,  "today's announcement with Chairman Genachowski shows that there is a different way to get things done in this city."

The Chairman and his team worked with us and our members on these Guidelines so we were able to avoid unnecessary and costly regulation (per President Obama's Executive Order) while still serving and protecting consumers.