We don't usually take much stock in proposed legislation -- Schoolhouse Rock left out the part where lobbyists gut all the good bits -- but we're willing to root for the Wireless Consumer Protection and Community Broadband Empowerment Act, currently on the floor in the House and Senate. The bill, sponsored by Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey, would require carriers to sell contract-free phones, provide rate plan information in a "clear, plain, and conspicuous manner," disclose any phone subsidies hidden in the plan's price, and offer price-comparable plans with no subsidy or early termination fee. That means you'd finally know exactly how much a plan would bill you every month including taxes and fees, it'd be easier to see how much devices like the iPhone are marked up, and most importantly, it'd be way easier to switch carriers to get better deals. The House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, of which Markey is the chairman, held a hearing on the bill this morning with reps from both the wireless industry and consumer groups present, so progress is being made -- we'll see how things go.

[Via CNET]

Read - Markey's statement to open the hearings
Read - Proposed bill [PDF]

Expressing concern over a few recent irregularities (or perceived irregularities, anyway) in the way the FCC is going about its business, the US House Energy and Commerce Committee is starting to put the smack down. In a bipartisan action, committee head John Dingell and ranking Republican Joe Barton have fired a communique over to FCC honcho Kevin Martin -- a Republican -- asking him to start saving all records and emails related to his work. Congress, regulated companies, and factions within the FCC itself have recently become dissatisfied with the way the Commission handles its policies and procedures, with Martin himself taking much of the heat for alleged improprieties in failing to properly disseminate information to FCC commissioners ahead of votes, pushing for votes while Congress is asking the agency do more research and investigation, and proposing widely unpopular policy changes. Analysts are suggesting that the move won't likely have a profound effect on the FCC's policy docket, saying the complaints seem to be more "procedural" in nature and that Martin may need to spend more time around Congress to keep 'em happy. If that's not punishment enough, we don't know what is.

[Via Slashdot and Ars Technica]

Say you're passing by, oh, Pharrell Williams' house and you're just dying to know what that puppy's worth. You know Zillow's got your hookup, but normally, you'd have to make a note of the address and run back to your PC or fumble around with their website on your phone's mini-browser. A new project by the company, Zillow Mobile, lets you simply fire off a text message with the address and get back the home's value and vital stats in real time. Zillow says the system is still a side-project for the moment and may not be rock solid, but we think this'll be a neat tool for serious use and entertainment value nonetheless.