The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking to retool its labeling requirements for broadband service offerings to reduce the burden on service providers.
According to a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in early November, the Commission would eliminate certain requirements that broadband service providers must communicate to consumers. The requirements subject to removal under the NPRM include:
- Reading the label to consumers over the phone
- Detailing widely variable state and local passthrough fees
- Providing information on the recently ended Affordability Connectivity Program
- Displaying labels in customer account portals
- Making labels available in machine-readable format
- Archiving labels for at least two years after a service is no longer offered
The Commission is also seeking comment on additional ways that it can streamline or eliminate other label requirements that are costly or that impose an unnecessary burden on broadband service providers.
The Commission says that its proposed changes will “preserve the core information that helps consumers compare different broadband plans.”
The Commission’s NPRM in connection with its proposed changes to the labeling of broadband Internet service providers is available at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-25-74A1.pdf.
Comments on the FCC’s proposed changes can be filed until early December through its Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) at http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs (reference Docket CG Docket No. 22-2).
