Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House
Communications Subcommittee, plans to propose and amendment to the FCC
Consolidated Reporting Act in markup Wednesday aimed at so-called
"below-the-line" fees on phone and ISP bills.
The
amendment would require the commission to include in its consolidated
Communications Marketplace Report an examination of those administrative,
service and other fees, which she says are not easy to find and are not the
government mandated taxes and charges -- like Universal Service Contributions,
for example.
"I've examined the websites of the largest U.S.
communications companies, and as an educated consumer, it's not easy to find
these fees," Eshoo said in a statement. "Sometimes they're noted with an
asterisk in small print. Other times consumers have to click through multiple
web pages before getting an estimate. The bottom line is that they're not
listed in the advertised price of monthly service."
Earlier this month, Eshoo sent letters to major
carriers and ISPs seeking more info on the fees.
