It seems that the FCC would like to step in and negotiate early termination fees with the wireless carriers. These cancellation fees are incurred when a customer breaks contract with a carrier and leaves before the contract terms are up. These fees are almost always $150 and even $200 per line, per line of service. The main proposal is proration.

The proposal was offered to the FCC by Verizon Wireless. Basically, it allows customers to get a little relief from the high prices that have to be payed to leave your carrier. The plan also will allow customers a 30 day window to leave the carrier, or up to 10 days after their first bill is received to leave. After that, the early termination fee would be lowered at an undisclosed rate per month.

The plan would also take away the right of the state to regulate the wireless fees. This means that only the federal courts could have jurisdiction over the rates. This type of system had been lobbied by CTIA previously as well.

There is always a catch to it though. Why would Verizon willingly deploy a plan to limit the amount of fees they can collect from a subscriber? For protection from the subscribers of course. The plan has appended to it, a request that the FCC protect the carriers from class action lawsuits, that currently are costing the carriers billions of dollars.

[Via CNN]