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ISPs created so many fees that FCC will kill requirement to list them all (arstechnica.com)

submitted 17 hours ago by bytesonbike@discuss.online to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world

39 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The rule took effect in April 2024 after the FCC rejected ISPs' complaints that listing every fee they created would be too difficult. The rule applies specifically to recurring monthly fees "that providers impose at their discretion, i.e., charges not mandated by a government."

ISPs could comply with the rule either by listing the fees or by dropping the fees altogether and, if they choose, raising their overall prices by a corresponding amount. But the latter option wouldn't fit with the strategy of enticing customers with a low advertised price and hitting them with the real price on their monthly bills. The broadband price label rules were created to stop ISPs from advertising misleadingly low prices.

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[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 19 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

I wonder if this is part of the reason why Cox stopped listing their small business plans and prices online.

And then there's the "promotional discount" that expires after a year or two, requiring you to call back in and threaten to cancel your service before they'll give you back the same price you were already paying. It helps if you actually have other ISP options.

I also think you should not be allowed to abandon your copper infrastructure without offering a replacement. AT&T refuses to offer new DSL service even if they have an old POTS line connected to your house because "we don't do DSL anymore" but I guarantee they would have a problem with it if I ripped their pedistal out of my front yard.

[–] FloMo@lemmy.world 9 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder if this is part of the reason why Cox stopped listing their small business plans and prices online. And then there's the "promotional discount" that expires after a year or two, requiring you to call back in and threaten to cancel your service before they'll give you back the same price you were already paying. It helps if you actually have other ISP options.

Can confirm that’s by design, AT&T employs the exact same strategy with their business customers and forcing them into “All-for-less” bundle package.

Need a POTS line? $95 + taxes and fees per month, local service only, call features extra.

But get a POTS line and a $15 a month 250mb data plan on a tablet? Suddenly the POTS lime is $30 including long distance and all call features you normally take for granted included (call waiting, call forwarding, etc).

Of course, that price is guaranteed for a year and you’ll have to call billing (sales) to get it sorted out again.

We’ve let ISP’s get away with murder in the U.S.

[–] danielton1@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

In my area, once T-Mobile became a viable option as a home ISP, Spectrum freaked the fuck out and went nuts chasing people down at the grocery stores and telling people T-Mobile is bad. Spectrum was the only option in town for a very long time, so they got very expensive, and now T-Mobile is offering 5 times the speed for half the price. It's insane. Yeah, T-Mobile isn't perfect, but it's nice to finally have some competition.

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