The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a rule that would force wireless carriers to notify customers if they are in danger of experiencing "bill shock" when it comes time to pay the piper. ("Shock" is probably not too strong a word, particularly for the woman who received a $35,000 bill from her cell phone provider for text and data services in Haiti following the recent earthquake there.) The proposal aims to help the consumer market primarily, but enterprises could benefit as well.

Mobile communications can be increasingly tricky to manage in a large company, particularly as users seek an ever-wider variety of devices and service providers. It is getting harder to keep track of who is using what, when and how. Data and voice plans vary, new mobile features seem to materialize daily and devices can get lost in the shuffle with employee turn-over. 

Under the FCC's proposal, carriers would have to notify users if they exceed, or are about to exceed, their monthly limits, or if they are going to incur international or other roaming charges not covered by their plan. Carriers also would have to provide clear disclosure of any tools they offer customers to review usage.

Here is one example of the complexity of managing the mobile environment in corporations today, as described by Tangoe Inc., a communications management provider: A medical technology company was paying four different carriers to support 3,300 mobile devices to the tune of $4.5 million a year. The carriers' usage policies differed, the cost structures differed and there was no central device management. With some software and services from Tangoe, the company reduced its expenses and realized a 200-plus percent ROI in the first year. 

The commercial sector offers a wide array of products and services today to help businesses manage their mobility expenses along with their traditional telecom expenses. But a little help from the regulators might not hurt. - Caron