Cal. PUC Comr. Dian Grueniech proposed an alternative telecom con...

today (Jan. 26) to take up a telecom consumer rights proposal by PUC Pres. Michael Peevy and former Comr. Susan Kennedy, but under recently adopted procedural rules, Grueniech’s release of her alternative proposal Wed. automatically bumped the item back to the PUC’s March 2 meeting. Grueniech said she reviewed the 2004 plan shelved by the PUC and did away with 2/3 of the rules because they amounted to micromanagement of competitive markets. Grueneich’s proposal says consumers have a right to choice, nondiscrimination, safety, nondiscrimination, privacy, full disclosure, accurate bills, protection from unauthorized charges, and public participation in regulatory processes. The 10 pages of rules for vindicating consumers’ rights would require disclosure of key terms at point of sale, a 30-day trial period in which to cancel a contract without penalty, disclosures and contracts made in the same language as the solicitation, prior notice to customers of major service changes, mandatory 911 access for all telecom services, and adherence to defined complaint and dispute resolution processes. Grueneich said her proposal differs from the competing plan Peevey offered in Dec. by including specific protections against cramming -- unauthorized nontelecom charges on phone bills. She said her rules wouldn’t stop companies from billing nontelecom services through cellphones, but would require a clear record that customers had authorized the charges. She said her program also emphasizes adherence to enforceable rules, not just to general principles. Her plan also calls for extensive educational outreach to consumers through the industry, community based organizations and the PUC itself, with special emphasis on non-English-speaking populations, low-income and disabled communities. She also called for expanded enforcement, including hiring up to 30 additional PUC staff to monitor carrier compliance and handle customer complaints. Grueniech said her program responded to “skyrocketing” consumer complaints about wireless service but isn’t targeted at wireless carriers. She said it’s intended to apply to all telecom providers equally, regardless of technology. She said she carefully crafted her program to avoid any conflict with the federal jurisdiction.