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If your internet service provider (ISP) is charging you extra for going over data caps, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to hear about it.
Last week, the FCC announced that it was exploring the impact of data caps on consumer access to broadband. If you’re not familiar, many ISPs institute data caps on customers. Use more data than that prescribed limit, and you might be subject to a hard cap, which is an added fee, or a soft cap, which means slower service. Some providers have no caps at all, some have no cap as a paid add-on, and some have caps only in certain parts of the country.
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Until earlier this year, warnings about data caps were often buried in piles of legalese; that is, customers often didn’t know these caps existed. That’s why the FCC mandated that ISPs provide “nutrition labels” that clearly break down key information on their plans, associated fees, and usage limits, in the form of labels you see on food packaging.
The FCC is now gathering information on data caps to determine how common they are, which companies use them, what impact they have on customers, how companies inform customers about the caps, and what impact they have.
If you’re not sure whether your provider has data caps, you can check this list on Broadband Now, an ISP coverage database. As of the first week of October, more than 110 providers were on this list. Some of the biggest names — like Spectrum and Verizon — do not have data caps. AT&T, Cox, and Xfinity all have unlimited data as an add-on option.
You can share your experience with data caps by visiting the FCC Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Center. If you give permission, the FCC might share your story on its website and your story might become part of the record that shapes the commission’s rulemaking process. More than 600 complaints have been shared so far.
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The FCC hasn’t announced any sort of regulatory action yet. This inquiry is an initial “we’re watching you” to internet providers. If these providers can’t justify data caps, it’s possible the FCC could step in.