OVERNIGHT TECH: Consumer group presses wireless companies for details about fee warnings

THE LEDE: Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, sent letters to wireless carriers on Wednesday asking for details about the companies' plans to warn consumers before they trigger extra fees.

The companies announced an agreement last month to send free alerts to help avoid "bill shock" when consumers discover surprise charges on their monthly phone bills. The charges could come from exceeding data, voice or text limits or from international roaming. The industry adopted the voluntary guidelines at the urging of the Federal Communications Commission.

The Consumers Union letters ask each company about when they will implement the new system, and some of the letters ask companies to clarify their existing policies. Consumers Union says Verizon's policy on alerting consumers, for example, is unclear.

"We are simply asking wireless companies to make clear what tools consumers have available to them now, and urging them to comply with this new policy sooner rather than later," said Parul Desai, policy counsel for Consumers Union.

Data Security meeting goes smoothly: A spokesman for Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) said Wednesday's meeting to discuss the SAFE Data Act, which would create a national standard for data-breach notification, went smoothly and that "there don't appear to be any deal breakers left on the table." Bono Mack is confident the bill has enough support to pass the Energy and Commerce Committee in the next few weeks, but a one-on-one meeting with Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) is needed first.

ON TAP THURSDAY:

The House Science Committee’s Education subpanel will hold a morning hearing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and transferring those skills to the workplace from the classroom. 

Robert Boorstin, Google's director of public policy, and Steve Stewart, IBM's director of public affairs, will highlight a panel discussion at the National Foreign Trade Council on modernizing the international trade rules governing cross-border technologies.

The House Homeland Security Committee’s Transportation Security subcommittee will hold a hearing in the afternoon on how improving the agency’s technology procurement could stimulate job growth. 

Department of Homeland Security Chief Information Officer Richard Spires and Department of Defense Assistant Deputy Chief Management Officer David Wennergren will offer a presentation at Deltek’s FedFocus conference, which is aimed at technology vendors seeking opportunities with the federal government in 2012.

ICYMI:

GOP Reps. Greg Walden (Ore.) and Sen. Dean Heller (Nev.) unveiled legislation Wednesday to change the way the Federal Communications Commission does business.

The feud between television broadcasters and wireless companies turned ugly.

A federal appeals court overturned the FCC's indecency fine against CBS for airing a split-second view of singer Janet Jackson's breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the FCC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization will administer the first national test of the Emergency Alert System at 2 p.m. on Nov. 9.

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