Consumer confusion Today, every metro region has four to seven wireless companies. Consumers must sort through all those competitors. Just picking a wireless rate plan can be bewildering. Wireless companies have tried to simplify their plans by offering a fixed number of minutes a month. But consumers pay added charges for exceeding that limit.
Many plans have different rates for long-distance calls and for calling on nights and weekends.
The confusion about pricing is why Charles Mahla began comparing plans in major U.S. cities. As prices tumble, the biggest savings go to heavy users. Milwaukee was not included in the study. The Division of Consumer Protection began to track wireless complaints about three years ago and has received only about 200 since then, Oemichen said. But complaints are on the rise, he said.