Nebraskans have plenty of cell-phone complaints

Cell phones.

Can't live with 'em.

Can't live without 'em.

Can't kill 'em: The extermination fees are too steep.

Millions of Americans own a cell phone, but the majority of them aren't happy with their service, said a Consumer Reports Survey published earlier this year.

The report found that fewer than half of respondents were satisfied, making cell phone service one of the lowest-rated services surveyed. This has been the case with the Consumer Reports annual cell phone service survey for the past six years.

For the most recent study, Consumer Reports surveyed more than 47,000 people in metropolitan U.S. areas. Respondents said their grievances included carriers imposing mandatory contract extensions, pricey extermination fees and poor customer service. The biggest point of dissatisfaction was bad cell phone reception.

But how do Nebraskans feel about their cell phone service? Do they share similar problems?

"You bet," said Gene Hand, director of telecommunications at the Nebraska Public Service Commission. "Wireless lines are exceeding (ground) lines. The more consumers that buy that product, the more who are going to fall through the cracks. It's a national phenomena."

Hand said the office receives complaints from all over the state on a number of issues, including billing and tax problems.

In February alone, the commission received about 60 cell-phone service complaints. But, Hand said, a lot of people who do have problems don't know to whom to call.

One issue that causes a lot of confusion, he said, is a billing detail that distinguishes between primary point of use area and billing address. In these cases, cell phone users live in one county or city but mainly use their cell in another. This can result in the consumer paying taxes for each area.

Anne Boyle is chairwoman of the Nebraska Public Service Commission and vice-chairwoman of the National Association of Utility Commissioners Consumer Affairs Committee. She's been working to beef up state regulations on cell phone companies for several years. But so far to no avail.

"They're a powerful industry," she said, "and they are attempting to isolate consumers from the state's involvement. They do not want states to have any oversight over them."

She said she's heard wireless carriers complain for years about how a "patchwork of state regulation" would harm the cell phone industry. But, she said, gas, water, electric, food, auto and a lot of other industries are doing fine under state and federal standards.

Boyle said she advocates change because she frequently receives calls from wireless customers who have problems with billing, service and other forms of red tape.

But, as of now, the commission has no specific authority in these matters.

"Nebraska has no authority to help (wireless) consumers," she said, "but we do it because we feel a responsibility to help. When people call us and need help, we try to solve their problems as soon as possible."

This year at the state legislature, senators could tackle a bill allowing the state to oversee cell phone complaints.

But the bill's already been proposed three times at the state level and has yet to reach the floor.

And Boyle isn't optimistic about it going anywhere this year.

For help

If you have a complaint about your cell phone service, contact your provider first. Then contact the Nebraska Public Service Commission at www.psc.state.ne.us or 471-3101.

- Micah Mertes

Cell phone facts and history

- Apple's iPhone has more processing power than the North American Air Defense Command did in 1965.

- In 2001, the people of the Philippines overthrew a dictator with their cell phones. Joseph Estrada, accused of massive corruption, was driven out of power by activists who, through text messaging, could bring hundreds of thousands of people into the streets in minutes. "It's like pizza delivery," said Alex Magno, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines. "You can get a rally in 30 minutes — delivered to you."

- In the Madrid train bombings of 2004, cell phones were used as detonators. Then they heavily influenced the outcome of the presidential election three days later when the ruling party used traditional media to try to blame Basques for the carnage, and text messagers attributed it to Islamists protesting Spain's involvement in the Iraq war.

- In the 2005 London Tube bombings, the iconic images were captured not by press photographers, but by commuters with camera phones.

Cell phones Q&A

- If we didn't shut off our cell phones before takeoff, would airplanes fall out of the sky? Probably not, pilots say, but let's not find out the hard way.

- Do cell phones cause car crashes? They're as distracting as driving drunk, according to some studies, but almost seven times less distracting than trying to catch a spilling beer can at 60 mph, according to others. People who text while driving, research suggests, should be horsewhipped.

- Do cell phones fry your brain? "Overall, research has not consistently demonstrated a link between cellular telephone use and cancer or any other adverse health effect," the National Cancer Institute says. But a recent study claims late-night cell phone radiation is what causes adolescent sleeplessness and confusion, to which parents have responded, "Yeah, right."

- I use my cell's backlight to find things in the dark. Am I weird? Perhaps. But two-thirds of us do it, according to Sprint.

- Are cell phones killing off the bees? Only if you close the lid on one.

— Wire reports