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The Federal Communications Commission is advancing a proposal that would roll back requirements for internet service providers to clearly itemize monthly fees, including location-based charges, on customer bills. The draft order, set for a vote on October 28, argues that detailed billing “may confuse customers” and seeks to eliminate what it deems “unduly burdensome” transparency rules.
Proposal Targets Itemized Fee Disclosures
The FCC’s proposal specifically aims to scrap requirements for ISPs to break down discretionary, recurring monthly fees that vary by consumer location. “We propose to eliminate the requirement that providers itemize discretionary, recurring monthly fees that represent costs they choose to pass through to consumers and which vary by consumer location,” states the draft proposal. This change would make it harder for customers to identify and challenge fees that providers opt to pass through.
Accessibility Requirements Under Fire
The plan also targets rules ensuring consumers can easily access plan information. It would remove mandates for ISPs to provide transparency labels in multiple languages and make them available both online and via telephone. Additionally, the proposal seeks to decouple these “nutrition labels” from customer account portals, raising questions about where consumers could find standardized plan comparisons. Consumer advocates argue these changes would reduce price transparency when shopping for broadband.
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FCC Leadership Defends Deregulatory Approach
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who leads the initiative, framed the proposal as streamlining unnecessary regulations. In recent remarks, Carr stated the changes would “separate the wheat from the chaff” and give consumers “quick and easy access to the information they want.” However, the Free Press advocacy group countered that the actual proposal language appears to do the opposite by reducing disclosure requirements.
Broader Context of Regulatory Rollbacks
This move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader push to reduce business regulations. The proposal follows over 7,000 public comments supporting strong transparency rules after the FCC previously mandated “nutrition labels” showing speeds, fees, and data allowances. If approved, the changes would take effect in early 2021, potentially allowing ISPs to resume burying hidden fees that complicate bill comparisons.
Critics warn that reducing transparency could leave consumers paying more for services they don’t fully understand, while supporters claim it removes bureaucratic hurdles for providers. The October 28 vote will determine whether Americans see clearer—or more obscured—internet billing moving forward.
