ISP Disclosures About Data Caps and Fees Eliminated By Net Neutrality Repeal (arstechnica.com)

In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission forced ISPs to be more transparent with customers about hidden fees and the consequences of exceeding data caps. Since the requirements were part of the net neutrality rules, they will be eliminated when the FCC votes to repeal the rules next week. Ars Technica reports: While FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is proposing to keep some of the commission's existing disclosure rules and to impose some new disclosure requirements, ISPs won't have to tell consumers exactly what everything will cost when they sign up for service. There have been two major versions of the FCC's transparency requirements: one created in 2010 with the first net neutrality rules, and an expanded version created in 2015. Both sets of transparency rules survived court challenges from the broadband industry. The 2010 requirement had ISPs disclose pricing, including "monthly prices, usage-based fees, and fees for early termination or additional network services." That somewhat vague requirement will survive Pai's net neutrality repeal. But Pai is proposing to eliminate the enhanced disclosure requirements that have been in place since 2015. Here are the disclosures that ISPs currently have to make -- but won't have to after the repeal:

-Price: the full monthly service charge. Any promotional rates should be clearly noted as such, specify the duration of the promotional period and the full monthly service charge the consumer will incur after the expiration of the promotional period.
-Other Fees: all additional one time and/or recurring fees and/or surcharges the consumer may incur either to initiate, maintain, or discontinue service, including the name, definition, and cost of each additional fee. These may include modem rental fees, installation fees, service charges, and early termination fees, among others.
-Data Caps and Allowances: any data caps or allowances that are a part of the plan the consumer is purchasing, as well as the consequences of exceeding the cap or allowance (e.g., additional charges, loss of service for the remainder of the billing cycle).

Pai's proposed net neutrality repeal says those requirements and others adopted in 2015 are too onerous for ISPs.

Comments

Re: Investments revealed!

[PopeRatzo]

Sadly if you were an American guy you might be able to spell Cleenex or Brawny or Walmart but maybe this is a parody. In any case I'm a U.S. Citizen and sadly a taxpayer struggling with the burdens of Obamacare which has doubled my healthcare expenditures. You? Volley to your side how do you respond?
* fall on your ass and make a Jon McEnroe quote?
* struggle to wheeze your way back to baseline and whiff?
* stand on your rock of I don't give 2shits for anybody that isn't a democrat.. and decree to world+dog that your opinion is more valuable than anyone that opposes you
* you take a sabbatical.. do some real soul searching and research the entire spectrum of politics and realize there are more options and opinions than you and the rest of your androgyny and must spend a lot of time to realize that the world doesn't revolve around their singular chorus line.

Found the Rooskie.

Re: Investments revealed!

[kilfarsnar]

What's with Americas current boner for Russians? Is it because Trumpski has a boner for them and it passes on, or is it more you think it's a magic word to make anything you don't like irrelevant?

Though I don't include Pope Ratzo in this, most Americans have only recently learned that there is a massive industry dedicated to influencing their opinions. Part of that industry belongs to Russian intelligence agencies. That's the part the American public has been told about. Somewhat ironically, they have been told that by other parts of the industry that belong to western media outlets and American intelligence agencies.