New U.S. regulations will require that wireless providers send customers usage notifications when they've hit their monthly limits or are roaming overseas.
Mobile users will receive updates before and after hitting their voice, text and data limits, and they'll receive roaming notifications while travelling overseas, announced the CTIA, Federal Communications Commission and Consumers Union in a statement Monday.
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The Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines, which will affect 97% of U.S. mobile users, will become part of the FCC's Consumer Code for Wireless Service. According to a 2011 poll by Consumers Union, 60% of U.S. mobile customers support "bill shock" legislation.
"Far too many Americans know what it’s like to open up their cellphone bill and be shocked by hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected fees and charges," says President Barack Obama, who supports the legislation. "But we can put an end to that with a simple step: An alert warning consumers that they’re about to hit their limit before fees and charges add up."
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The free and automatic notifications will come by voice or text message. Providers must offer two of the four notifications -- overseas, text, voice and data -- by Oct. 17, 2012, and must provide all four by April 17, 2013.
Would you like to receive usage notifications from your mobile provider? Let us know in the comments.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, webphotographeer
This story originally published on Mashable here.
