Tough words for telecom companies.(Have You Heard?)

The TVs in this issue aren't the only things getting bigger. So are the bills that consumers have to pay to watch anything on those huge screens, the companies that produce the programs that bump up the bills, and the hassles consumers face when they deal with all types of telecommunications companies.

Here are a few of the issues that confront consumers and that Consumers Union, publisher of CONSUMER REPORTS, is tackling on your behalf. You can read more about the problems, and what we're doing to solve them, at a new Web site we've created, HearUsNow.org.

You shouldn't have to buy a new cell phone, Although U.S. consumers recently won the right to take their numbers with them when they change carriers, they still can't take the phone. In Europe and elsewhere, wireless providers have adopted a common standard known as GSM. Consumers can buy "unlocked" phones that work on the common network and can easily switch carriers by changing a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in the phone. In the U.S., no such standardization exists, and even providers that use compatible networks generally sell "locked" phones that can't be used on competitors' systems. Most customers who want to switch carriers must shell out more money and have to dump a perfectly good phone.

You shouldn't be charged for cable TV you don't watch. Currently, cable subscribers in only 2 percent of American markets have a choice of cable companies. Those lucky few pay about 15 percent less for their TV programming than other cable subscribers. The cable industry has evolved as a local monopoly, with few consumer or rate protections. Cable bills are rising, and most people ...