BILL ANALYSIS 1
1
SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
MARTHA M. ESCUTIA, CHAIRWOMAN
AB 610 - Calderon Hearing Date:
June 30, 2005 A
As Amended: June 21, 2005 Non-FISCAL
B
6
1
0
DESCRIPTION
Current law requires cellular telephone companies to provide
customers with a means by which they can obtain current
information on their calling plan, usage, and charges.
This bill requires cellular telephone companies to also provide
customers with a means by which they can obtain current
information on their text messaging and Internet usage and
charges by January 1, 2007.
BACKGROUND
Cellular telephones have become increasingly capable. In
addition to voice communications, many cellphones can now be
used to send and receive text messages and access the Internet.
Soon those phones will be able to receive television-like
service, provide location information, and act like electronic
wallets. Calling these devices "phones" seems like quaint
understatement.
As cellular telephones have become more widely adopted<1>, and
their capabilities expanded, so too have consumer expectations.
Cellphones are now expected to work everywhere, with clear,
reliable service. While these expectations may be unrealistic,
they are reinforced by the marketing efforts of the cellular
telephone companies. The unmet consumer expectations have
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<1> At 191 million in 2005, the number of cellular telephones
probably exceeds the number of traditional telephones, which is
estimated at 173 million at the end of 2003 in a recent report
by the Federal Communications Commission.
inevitably led to disappointment which in turns leads to calls
for regulation. In California this started in the mid-1990's
when concerns about high and not-well-disclosed early
termination fees led to an effort to restrict those fees.
Concerns about the high cost of exceeding monthly plan minutes
led to the successful 2002 effort to give customers ready access
to such information. Continuing concerns about service quality
have given rise to a pending bill which includes cellular
telephone service as part of a larger bill establishing
telephone service quality standards (SB 1068: Escutia). It
would not be bold to predict that future legislation will deal
with cellphones and their role as surrogates for debit and
credit cards.
COMMENTS
This bill provides cellular telephone companies with great
flexibility to meet its requirements because it allows them, and
not the California Public Utilities Commission, to determine
what information is "reasonably current and available".
ASSEMBLY VOTES
Assembly Floor (57-19)
Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee
(10-1)
POSITIONS
Sponsor:
Author
Support:
None on file
Oppose:
None on file
Randy Chinn
AB 610 Analysis
Hearing Date: June 30, 2005