FCC says “too bad” to ISPs complaining that listing every fee is too hard
FCC says “too bad” to ISPs complaining that listing every fee is too hard
Comcast and other ISPs asked FCC to ditch listing-every-fee rule. FCC says "no."
Aww ... poor little ISPs.
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For those of us not American, can someone explain what fees are root talking about? Isn't it like one fee of $X/month?
Suppose you buy an Internet plan for $50. On your bill, it'll be $50, plus usually 5-10 other fees probably totaling around $5-10. Some examples from my cell phone bill are
- Fed universal service charge
- regulatory charge
- admin & telco regulatory charge
- gross receipts surcharge
- state public safety comm surcharge
- local public safety comm surcharge
- state sales tax
That's 7 additional fees, whose names vary from somewhat comprehensible to uselessly vague. And you won't find these prices until you get your bill. They're not advertised directly, instead you'll see that $50 advertised price, and a little asterisk that points to tiny text "additional fees may apply" that somehow make this all legal.
The FCC is saying if telcoms are going to add all these fees, they need to be part of the ad and not hidden.
This is about "fees" over and above the advertised "price". So it says your plan is $65/month, but when you get your bill it's actually $95 because there's a "Cost Recovery Fee", a "Network Maintenance Fee", and a "Municipal Area Surcharge" (IIRC all real fees I've paid on an internet bill) on top of the advertised rate. They're often meant to look like taxes, but they aren't.