Massachusetts Plans a Cell Phone Bill of Rights

freaktheclown writes "Via Engadget, the news that Massachusetts' state legislature is considering a cell phone bill of rights, which would 'limit contracts to one year, require easier to understand monthly bills, and force carriers to fix dead zones.' You may recall that California adopted a similar bill of rights last year before it was shelved last January."

Comments

Fixing Dead Zones?

[gbulmash]

Fixing dead zones? Then Anthony Michael Hall would be out of a job.

But seriously folks...

Also, fixing dead zones, AFAIK, would require more cell towers. If the lack in some areas was due to municipal zoning issues, how is that reconciled? Does the state bill allow the cell carriers to steamroll city/county planning commissions?

The main question on my mind, though, is would the cell phone carriers offer fewer freebies and worse deals if contracts were limited to one year, or would the competition in the market end up causing Mass. consumers to get deals on one-year contract that the rest of the country only gets on two-year contracts.

- Greg

Re:Maybe it will go federal someday

[griffjon]

Definitely. The cell phone market is not a good example of a free market system due to the former monopoly players involved, and the monopoly practices they are able to use through tower control.

I predict that US cell companies will one day soon be revealed to be colluding and price-fixing, and doing all sorts of nasty oligopoly/monopoly illegal things.

e.g. why the fuck is text messaging on most carrier 5-10 cents to send and again to receive? that's pure profit (excepting when people are flooding the text channel, evidentally). Why do they charge from opening the line as opposed to the receiver picking up the call? How do they magically attribute 20 minutes of calltime in chunks to my own number? (I don't have that much voicemail!)?

Why do they lock down phones and features within phones?

I'm disgusted with the US cell phone companies compared to options abroad. We as consumers are getting screwed over, and most people don't even realize it.

Oh God.

[Renraku]

How about contract reform?

Generally, contracts are very one-sided. I mean the cell phone company can cut you off at any time, but if you cut them off when on a contract, you must pay.

Anything they can get their hands on means a swift and harsh punishment will be coming.

I mean you can always say 'don't sign the contract!' that's fine and dandy, but the very act of looking at the contract usually means you want (and sometimes need!) whatever service is being provided.

Look at any contract. When you apply for a job and get hired, you usually have to sign a contract saying something like 'everything i do on company time is owned by the company, even if i'm on break or lunch, i have the right to be fired at any time without warning or reason, i must donate all worldy goods to the company, etc.' in exchange for employment and getting paid for what you're working on.