Starting Today, ISPs Must Display Labels With Price, Speeds, and Data Caps

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Starting today, home Internet and mobile broadband providers in the US are required to display consumer labels with information on prices, speeds, and data allowances. 'Today's nationwide launch of the Broadband Consumer Labels means internet service providers are now required to display consumer-friendly labels at the point of sale,' the Federal Communications Commission said (PDF). 'Labels are required for all standalone home or fixed Internet service or mobile broadband plans. Providers must display the label -- not simply an icon or link to the label -- in close proximity to an associated plan's advertisement.'

The labels are required now for providers with at least 100,000 subscribers, while ISPs with fewer customers have until October 10, 2024, to comply. 'If a provider is not displaying their labels or has posted inaccurate information about its fees or service plans, consumers can file a complaint with the FCC Consumer Complaint Center,' an agency webpage says. The October 10 date will also bring an additional requirement that providers 'make the labels machine-readable to enable third parties to more easily collect and aggregate data for the purpose of creating comparison-shopping tools for consumers,' the FCC said.

The FCC issued a consumer advisory telling broadband users what to look for in the labels. Labels should include the monthly price, state whether it is an introductory rate, the amount of time that an introductory rate applies, and the price after any introductory rate expires. The labels must include any additional monthly charges, one-time fees, early termination fees, and taxes. Speed information should include typical download speed, upload speed, and latency. For data caps, the labels should state how much data is included with the monthly price and how much consumers have to pay for additional usage. Labels should also include links to information on discounts and service bundles, network management practices, and privacy policies.

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