February 27, 2014 
It ~. 1!)oust of·latprtstntatibts 
mtta~bington, m. ct. 20515 
The Honorable Tom Wheeler, Chairman 
Federal Conununications Commission 
445 Twelfth Street, S.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler, 
Last year, several members of the House Subcommittee on Conununications and Technology 
wrote to seven of the largest wireless and wireline communications providers regarding their use 
of below-the-line fees on the monthly bills of consumers. The findings of the inquiry suggest that 
the use of such fees is widespread, and when consumers sign up for service they are usually 
buried in small print. 
We believe consumers deserve greater transparency and disclosure prior to signing-up for 
service, as well as on their monthly bill. Our experience from examining the websites of these 
providers is that consumers cannot easily obtain a total estimate of their first month's bill, 
including all taxes, fees and surcharges, prior to entering personal information, such as name, 
social security number and credit card information. Given that the combination of such charges 
can add as much as 42 percent to a consumer's monthly bill, we believe that further examination 
by the FCC is warranted. 
Additionally, after signing a service contract, we think consumers should have certainty in what 
they will actually pay each and every month during the life of their contract. We understand that 
the FCC has examined "bill shock," but this has typically focused on consumer-generated fees, 
such as unanticipated roaming or data charges. Consumers appear to have little recourse when 
company-imposed below-the-line fees are added or increased while a subscriber is already under 
contract. There should be a thorough examination of this practice to ensure consumers can more 
accurately assess the true cost of fulfilling a multi-year service contract. 
We respectfully request that you open a proceeding on the disclosure of below-the-line fees and 
urge you to work with the nation's communications providers to ensure consumers are able to 
accurately compare competing services and choose the provider that best meets their needs. 
Thank you in advance for your efforts to protect consumers, and we look forward to your timely 
response to our request. 
Most gratefully, 
~~---,~~ 
Ann~shoo, Ranking Member 
~unications and Technology Subcommittee 
Energy and Commerce Committee 
Howard Coble 
Member of Congress 
~::s . "-~ 
Ben Ray Lujan 
Member of Congress