Federal Communications Commission FCC 09-68
STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER ROBERT M. McDOWELL
Re: Consumer Information and Disclosure, CG Docket No. 09-158; Truth-in-Billing and 
Billing Format, CC Docket No. 98-170; IP-Enabled Services, WC Docket No. 04-36
Thank you, Cathy, and the entire CGB team for your work in writing today’s inquiry, 
which I am voting to approve.  As you note, it has been four years since the Commission last 
examined consumer information and disclosure matters.  In the intervening years, there has been 
significant growth and change in the communications marketplace, including the introduction of 
new categories of service, as well as new pricing models.  Certainly these advances have 
benefited consumers in many ways – creative innovation, more choice and lower prices 
immediately come to mind.  At the same time, there is some evidence that this change has 
created new sources of uncertainty.  Given the circumstances, I appreciate the desire to take 
another look.  
As we move forward, however, it is critical that we keep in mind the Commission’s 
limitations.  For this reason, I thank Chairman Genachowski and my colleagues for supporting 
my suggestion that we include in this inquiry robust discussions of the Commission’s statutory 
authority, the applicability of the First Amendment, as well as the longstanding precedent in this 
area.  I believe that we strengthened the document with a more sound legal footing, and therefore 
have provided a more meaningful opportunity for comment.
Thanks again to the staff and my colleagues.  I look forward to hearing more about these 
issues in the coming months.