Key Takeaways
- The FCC now requires broadband providers to display clear, easy-to-understand labels for consumers when shopping for internet.
- These ‘broadband nutrition labels’ will include prices, speeds, data allowances, and details of any post-introductory offers.
- Broadband nutrition labels will improve consumer protection by giving people all the information they need to make a decision.
Getting tricked with an introductory offer on your internet that then jumps in price is about to become a thing of the past. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just introduced new rules requiring broadband internet providers to display clear, easy-to-understand labels for their services.
These labels look a lot like the nutrition labels you see on food items at the grocery store. Only instead of counting calories, these FCC-mandated labels will tell you about prices, speeds, data allowances, and most importantly, what happens after an introductory offer comes to an end. Now we’ll have access to the kind of key information we need to make an informed decision as consumers.
Broadband nutrition labels for the market
These ‘broadband nutrition labels’ will also provide links to information about network management practices, privacy policies, and the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program. All of this stems from 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which directs the FCC to end the practice by broadband conglomerates of tricking consumers with unclear messaging and locking them into overpriced service contracts.
The FCC is also looking for feedback from the general public on additional steps they could take to improve consumer protection. It’s looking for comments about issues such as pricing, bundled plans, service reliability, cybersecurity, and more. The overall goal is to ensure consumers have all the information they need before buying.
Here’s what you’ll see on these labels
The new labels will be displayed at every service provider store and website. They are required to be displayed at point of sale.
The first thing you’ll see is the monthly price. If the price is an introductory offer, the next part of the label will show for how long the offer lasts, and how much the price will be after the offer ends.
Next, there will be a section outlining additional charges such as modem rentals and early termination fees. After that, there will be a section outlining any bundles this plan might be a part of.
Then there’s a section showing the speeds provided in the plan, followed by how much data is included with the monthly price. The label must also show the customer support number, and it ends with a shout-out to the FCC.
