- The new rules passed unanimously by the three FCC commissioners
- Providers must still offer a label for every standalone broadband plan
- The Democrat commissioner said it was important to her that label information is still included in phone calls from consumers to service providers
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed a report and order to revise the rules for broadband nutrition labels. The order passed unanimously by all three FCC commissioners, including the Democrat Commissioner Anna Gomez.
According to the FCC, the order will make broadband labels easier to read and understand, while reducing compliance burdens on providers. The item aims to minimize some of the confusion and frustration that consumers have had with the labels.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said, “The new label removes unnecessary clutter, eliminates outdated requirements like references to the expired Affordable Connectivity Program, gives providers more practical ways to make labels available through hyperlinks, QR codes, and online account portals, and lets customer service representatives explain the information in plain English over the phone instead of reading a long script word for word.”
He said none of those changes come at the expense of transparency. Providers will still offer a label for every standalone broadband plan. Consumers will still get necessary information about pricing, introductory rates, broadband speeds and data allowances. The labels will also remain accessible and available in the languages providers use to market their services.
Notably, Commissioner Anna Gomez did not oppose the new broadband nutrition label rules.
Gomez said, “I'm pleased that many of the consumer concerns I raised when the Commission considered the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking last year have been addressed in today's report and order.”
She stressed the importance of label rules as they relate to telephone calls with service providers. “This item ensures phone calls remain categorized as a point of sale,” she said. “The reality is that some consumers shopping for a broadband service do not currently have it, so they rely on phone calls to find information about potential service plans, the rules we adopt today require that critical information is conveyed over the phone, including the monthly price, inclusive of any monthly fees, the introductory rate and its duration, typical download and upload speeds, latency, data allowance, contract term and early termination fees.”
She also said the FCC chairman’s office worked with her to strike a careful balance between providing consumers with valuable information and keeping the labels functional and easy to use.
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