Broadband nutrition label? FCC wants clarity from ISPs

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Understanding your internet options should be as easy as reading the nutrition label on a cereal box. The FCC is making it easier to understand the cost and performance of your high-speed internet with broadband consumer labels.

“The price is the price, the speed is the speed,” NetChoice Vice President Carl Szabo said.

These labels look like the nutrition labels you see all over the grocery store and show prices, introductory rates, data allowances and speeds. Szabo says this promotes competition.

“I can see if service Provider A isn’t providing the speeds I want and the prices I need, then I can go to service Provider B,” Szabo said.

By April 10th, all internet service providers with more than 100,000 customers must publish these labels.

“You’re required to have that label posted for each of your services. Mobile or fixed,” WISPA Broadband Without Boundaries Outside Counsel Steve Coran said.

Coran says the FCC hit a good balance with the labels by not including too much information.

“That would look like the back of what’s on your credit card statement that nobody reads,” Coran said.

Szabo says the additional clarity helps consumers but he doesn’t want the FCC to punish companies if they make a mistake with these labels out of the gate.

“What I’m hoping is the FCC gives a lot of these businesses a grace period and gives them the benefit of the doubt,” Szabo said.

Companies with less than 100,000 customers will have until October to put labels up.

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