Yesterday, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Al Franken (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a companion bill to the "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act," which was introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA). Benjamin Lennett, Policy Director for the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative (OTI), issued the following statement: 

"I commend the Senators for introducing legislation that gives consumers more clear and concise information about the mobile broadband services they are buying. The bill's disclosure requirements give consumers critical information regarding the actual price, minimum speed, and plain language terms of service.

"This legislation fills a vacuum left by the FCC, where despite a groundswell of calls by legislators, consumers, and public interest groups for strong transparency rules, has failed to enact even the most basic disclosure requirements on mobile companies -- hopefully the House and Senate legislation will help spur key decision-makers into action."

About OTI
New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative promotes affordable, universal, and ubiquitous communications networks through partnerships with communities, researchers, industry, and public interest groups and is committed to maximizing the potentials of innovative open technologies by studying their social and economic impacts – particularly for poor, rural, and other underserved constituencies. The Open Technology Initiative has long urged the FCC to enact strong rules to require all broadband providers to disclose accurate information to consumers. OTI has developed a sample 'broadband nutrition label' that if enacted would allow consumers to more easily compare broadband service across different plans and providers.