Wireless Industry Defends Itself Against Mounting Criticism
A CTIA official moved to defend the wireless industry against growing criticism that its pricing practices are unfair and that it lacks innovation.
Mon, August 24, 2009
Computerworld — Facing an unprecedented onslaught of criticism of its pricing practices, exclusive handset deals and other moves, the wireless industry is gearing up to defend itself in hearings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other government groups.
"The wireless industry in the U.S. has the coolest handsets, the applications are more robust, and the networks have the highest speeds with the lowest pricing," said Christopher Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulatory affairs at the CTIA in an interview today. "Can things get better? Yes. But things will get better."
The CTIA, an association of carriers, handset makers and a growing number of wireless ecosystem players like Google Inc., says it is a bit confused by the level of criticism heaped upon the industry in recent weeks. Critics have leveled a variety of complaints ranging from what they contend is a lack of wireless innovation to overcharging for monthly services, Guttman-McCabe said.
"I think it's extremely hard to understand the criticism we're hearing," Guttman-McCabe said. "People pay ... a hell of a lot less than they paid [for wireless services] 15 years ago, and think of what you get now that you couldn't get then."
The CTIA is planning to carefully watch the FCC's meeting on Thursday to consider whether to conduct three probes, or "inquiries," into the wireless industry. The FCC will decide whether it will work to find ways to encourage wireless vendors to be more innovative, competitive and open in providing information to consumers looking to buy wireless services.
Guttman-McCabe said CTIA expects the FCC to go forward with the inquiries, which will provide the industry with an opportunity to defend itself against the criticism. The CTIA won't testify or file written comments on Thursday, but it does expect to be given an opportunity to respond later, he said.
While several industry critics and the FCC have recently laid myriad wireless concerns on the table, generating a spate of bad publicity, the CTIA noted that actual customer complaints to carriers this year have declined in nearly every category, in actual numbers and in complaints per million customers.
The only area where complaints have risen is among consumers concerned about wireless telephone solicitations from a variety of companies, including those looking to sell car warranty extensions. Some of the carriers have aggressively fought those calls, many of which are made illegally by advertisers using auto-calling devices, Guttman-McCabe said.
He also noted that most carriers have implemented over the past 18 months new plans that allow customers to drop a plan or change a phone without penalty during a 30-day trial period. "I would put our industry up against any other in terms of the customer experience," Guttman-McCabe said.
