Wireless industry on bill shock regs: ‘We will do more’

More than any other industry, our service is inspiring and empowering hundreds of millions of Americans. We are constantly working to keep all of our 292.8 million subscribers happy, and we will do more. Carriers are providing customers with a range of service options as usage and technologies evolve. When there are concerns raised by consumers, the Better Business Bureau reports that 97.4% of them are resolved. And the industry continues to develop tools to keep customers informed about their level of usage of voice, text or data to ensure positive customer experiences. According to FCC data, overall wireless-related complaints fell 4% from 2008 – 2009. This is illustrated by the fact that customer satisfaction numbers continue to improve, including the FCC’s own survey that shows that 92% are “very” or “somewhat” satisfied. In the last twelve months as the number of subscribers increased by 16 million, the number of minutes by 19 billion, the number of texts by 33%, and the number of MMS messages by 187%, the average local monthly bill fell by 4.2% over the same period. This is an equation that works for consumers. We agree with the FCC that the goal is to keep all customers happy, but we are concerned that prescriptive and costly rules that limit the creative offerings and competitive nature of the industry may threaten to offset these positive trends. We look forward to continuing to innovate and meet the needs and demands of our 292.8 million customers.