Jason Ford by way of ConsumerReports.org

Or at least that's the plan. The commission is preparing a bill expected to be announced Thursday that will require telecommunications companies such as Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T to warn wireless customers when they are reaching limits to their text, voice, and data services.

The expected action comes after the FCC received numerous concerns from consumers who fell victim to unexpected surcharges on their wireless phone bills for going past limits. Collectively, the issue became known as bill shock.  Some 30 million Americans had experienced bill shock in varying degrees, according to a FCC survey released in May.

Incidentally, Verizon Wireless recently has been under heat for wrongfully collecting data fees from its customers. The FCC investigated the matter, which resulted in Verizon issuing $50 million in refunds.

Not content with just a single win, it seems the FCC has taken it upon itself to act as the consumer watchdog on a broader level. The commission, led by Chairman Julius Genachowski, continues to advance the National Broadband Plan all the while standing firm on net neutrality debates.

For more details of the White Paper on Bill Shock, click here (pdf).

To reach reporter Jacob Chung, click here.