The US wireless industry association CTIA and telecom carriers need to be on their toes hereafter, thanks to the rejuvenated Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which - under the headship of its newly-appointed Chairman Julius Genachowski - intends intense scrutiny of the industry!

On Thursday, the FCC, publishing its agenda for its August open meeting, said that it examine the telecom industry more closely, scrutinizing everything - the industry's billing practices, its state of innovation, and the competition in the market. Furthermore, on some of these pertinent issues, the agency will open up two "notice of inquiries" on August 27.

The FCC specified that while the first inquiry will pertain to an analysis of the state of competition and innovation in the wireless market, the second inquiry will scrutinize the need for revisions to the 'truth-in-billing' rules, thereby demystifying the wireless bills of the subscribers.

The recent bout of activity on the FCC front has prompted CTIA, which represents over 200 wireless companies, to accelerate its efforts. Going by a statement by Christoper Guttman-McCabe, the group's VP of regulatory affairs, Genachowski's FCC is "more active and interested in having a discussion based on facts."

Appreciating the FCC's new urgency, Guttman-McCabe said: "We fully embrace the opportunity to educate the commission and all policymakers. Too often, there is significant misrepresentation of the wireless industry's relationship with consumers."