According to The Verge, the Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 on October 28th to advance a notice of proposed rulemaking that could significantly scale back Broadband Facts label requirements for internet service providers. The labels, which only became mandatory in April 2024 after being initially proposed in 2016, provide detailed breakdowns of internet service costs including state and local pass-through fees that ISPs often exclude from advertised prices. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative targets six specific rules including requirements for itemized fee lists, multilingual display, and accessibility through online account portals. The proposal argues these requirements are “burdensome” and “may confuse consumers,” while Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez called it “one of the most anti-consumer proposals I have yet to see.” This regulatory reversal comes as the broadband industry faces scrutiny over pricing transparency.
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The Long Road to Broadband Transparency
The current broadband labeling system represents nearly a decade of regulatory effort to address what consumer advocates have long described as predatory pricing practices in the telecommunications industry. Before these labels, consumers regularly encountered “bill shock” when promotional rates expired and hidden fees appeared. The standardized format was modeled after nutrition labels on food products, providing consumers with comparable information across providers. What makes this rollback particularly concerning is that the labels had just begun providing consumers with their first truly standardized way to compare internet services across different providers and service tiers.
Behind the Regulatory Pushback
The timing of this proposal reveals much about the current political dynamics at the FCC. With the commission operating with reduced staffing, industry lobbying appears to be gaining traction. The joint petition filed by CTIA and other trade associations in 2023 specifically targeted the very requirements now under review, including documentation of when ISPs direct customers to labels through “alternative sales channels.” This suggests that compliance costs and sales friction, rather than consumer confusion, may be the real drivers behind this regulatory retreat. The industry’s argument that detailed fee disclosure confuses consumers stands in stark contrast to decades of consumer protection philosophy that more information, clearly presented, enables better decision-making.
What Consumers Stand to Lose
If these transparency requirements are scaled back, consumers will face several concrete disadvantages when shopping for broadband service. The most significant loss would be the ability to easily compare total costs between providers, since advertised prices often exclude mandatory fees that can add 10-30% to the monthly bill. The potential elimination of multilingual requirements would disproportionately affect non-English speaking households, who already face barriers to accessing affordable internet service. Without standardized disclosure, consumers may return to the era of complex fine print and surprise charges that characterized broadband pricing before the label mandate.
Beyond Broadband: A Regulatory Precedent
This move could set a dangerous precedent for consumer protection across multiple industries. If successful, the “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative might embolden efforts to roll back transparency requirements in other sectors like banking, healthcare, and energy. The argument that detailed disclosure “confuses consumers” could become a template for dismantling other consumer protection measures. Furthermore, this comes at a particularly vulnerable time for internet affordability, following the collapse of the Affordable Connectivity Program that helped low-income households access essential broadband services.
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The Road Ahead for Broadband Transparency
The notice of proposed rulemaking now enters a public comment period where consumer advocates, industry representatives, and the public can weigh in. Based on the commission’s documentation and the sharp divide among commissioners, this is likely to become a highly contentious proceeding. The outcome will depend heavily on public engagement and whether consumer groups can mobilize sufficient opposition to counter well-funded industry lobbying. What’s clear is that the future of broadband transparency hangs in the balance, with potentially lasting consequences for how Americans access and pay for essential internet services.
