Washington – F.C.C. and Wireless Carriers Agree to Alerts on Excess Use

Washington – Cellphone companies are pledging to warn subscribers before they go over their monthly limits for calling minutes, text messages and data use.

The pledge comes in response to a threat of regulation by the Federal Communications Commission, which wants to curb “bill shock” for wireless subscribers.

CTIA — The Wireless Association, a trade group representing the major cellphone companies, says they’re also promising to warn subscribers that they’re paying roaming fees if they travel abroad.

The warnings will arrive as text messages. The companies say they’ll have at least half of them in place in a year and all of them in place in two years.