The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed revisions to the rules concerning internet service providers’ (ISPs) obligations to itemize every fee on their billing statements, a move that has raised concerns among consumer advocacy groups. Chairman Brendan Carr stated that the current requirements could “confuse customers,” prompting the FCC to submit the proposal for public review, reports 24brussels.
The initiative follows pushback from ISPs against a Biden-era transparency rule implemented in April 2024, which mandated the creation of a broadband “nutrition label” for better consumer price comparison. Providers argued that the complexity of their billing systems made full compliance impractical and overly burdensome, raising fears that such rules would ultimately lead to confusing bills for customers.
While the FCC aims to maintain some form of itemization, the focus is on exempting location-based fees and making the requirements more manageable. The goal is to remove any unnecessary burdens identified by providers, which may alter how fees are presented to consumers when selecting new broadband plans.
In a statement regarding the proposal, Carr emphasized the commission’s commitment to prioritizing consumer protection, stating that the aim is to “focus on consumer protection” and eliminate extraneous information from billing summaries. The FCC will conduct a vote on these changes on October 28th, which must be approved before implementation.
This proposal is part of the “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative launched by Carr in March, which seeks to relieve ISPs of regulatory pressures stemming from former President Donald Trump’s directives for minimal government oversight. The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), a major industry lobby, has been vocally supportive of course corrections in itemization strategies, following the imposition of similar requirements on cable and satellite providers earlier this year.
