Broadband Consumer Labels

The Federal Communications Commission has announced dates by which consumers will see new Broadband Consumer Labels when they shop for services: The majority of providers must display at the point of sale clear, easy-to-understand, and accurate information about the cost and performance of broadband services by April 10, 2024; providers with 100,000 or fewer subscriber lines must do so by October 10, 2024. Those points of sale include online and in-store.

Access to accurate, simple-to-understand information about broadband internet access services helps consumers make informed choices and is central to a well-functioning marketplace that encourages competition, innovation, low prices, and high-quality service. The FCC rules adopted in the Broadband Label Order respond to direction in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for the FCC to require providers to create consumer-friendly labels with information about their broadband services. The labels must disclose important information about broadband prices, introductory rates, data allowances, and broadband speeds, and include links to information about network management practices, privacy policies, and the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program.

In an Order on Reconsideration, the Commission further refined the requirements for the label.

Rules that providers must follow can be found in an FCC Report and Order (adopted Nov. 14, 2022), an Order amending the rules (adopted July 18, 2023), and an Order on Reconsideration (adopted August 25, 2023).

Public Hearings on the Proposed Rules

The Infrastructure Act required the FCC to adopt regulations within a year of its passage and to conduct a series of public hearings to help inform the labeling requirements.

The FCC held three public hearings as a part of its broadband consumer labels rulemaking proceeding. The hearings assessed how consumers evaluate internet service plans and whether current disclosures are sufficient.

The first hearing took place March 11, 2022. The purpose of the first hearing was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Commission's existing transparency rule and provide necessary background for the new label requirement, including whether additional disclosure requirements were necessary.

A second hearing was held April 7, 2022. The second hearing focused directly on consumer testimony and explored in greater detail how information is conveyed and considered by consumers.

A third hearing was held May 25, 2022. The third hearing focused on the experiences of digital navigators working with consumers to select broadband plans, Federal agency representatives discussing lessons learned from existing Federal Government labels, and advocates working to meet the needs of the disability community while exploring how information is conveyed and considered by consumers.

The hearings were streamed free to the public at FCC.gov/live, were recorded and are archived on the FCC's website.

Comments on Proposal

With the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC sought comment on a number topics, including the following:

• Have broadband service offerings and consumers' use of broadband services changed sufficiently since the Commission approved labels in 2016 to necessitate modifications to the labels' content and/or format, or whether there are any other reasons to change the content or format of the labels?
• Where should the labels be displayed to best inform consumers?
• How should the Commission enforce the label requirement and ensure the accuracy of label content?

The FCC also sought comment on implementation issues, including the time by which broadband providers should be required to display the labels. The comments period closed on March 24, 2022.

On July 18, 2023, the Commission released an Order to update the template for the recently adopted broadband consumer label.

The revised label template reflects a new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) application landing page available at GetInternet.gov, and clarifies that if a provider is required to display a Spanish version of the label, it must include the Spanish-language landing page for the ACP, AccedeaInternet.gov.

This action does not modify or otherwise change any entity's underlying responsibilities under the Broadband Label Order.