WASHINGTON—The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission laid out a plan Thursday to regulate the high fees that cellular phone companies charge consumers for canceling their contracts early.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s proposal was similar to an industry plan put forward last month. Martin said he was skeptical ongoing class-action lawsuits would adequately resolve for consumers all the pending issues about the unpopular fees. The chairman made his comments at a public hearing.

Martin joked that his wife, apparently unhappy about the fees, had volunteered to testify at the hearing. He also criticized the fees, saying that “in practice, it can leave people locked into a service that they really want to leave.”

Companies charge early termination fees that can range from $150 to $225 to recover the cost of cell phones, which they subsidize under long-term service contracts, according to wireless companies. The fees also defray costs for signing up new customers, companies said.