Major internet service providers are now required to post so-called “broadband nutrition labels” online and in stores to provide consumers with a snapshot of all pricing and performance data for their plans. New requirements from the Federal Communications Commission go into effect Wednesday and could make it easier to compare broadband services.
Internet providers and cable companies tend to dictate a lot of small details, such as promotional prices that evaporate, maximum speeds that aren’t always available, or vaguely named rate combinations.
“They’re all about $1 or $2, but eight of them adds up to a lot of money,” said Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at Consumer Reports, which tracks cable costs.
“We find that people are often very confused about what they’re paying for and what they’re getting,” he says. “And they are often surprised by the amount they are charged.”
The new broadband nutrition labels are very similar to those for food, but track fiber speeds and surcharges. Laurie Craner, a professor of consumer label design at Carnegie Mellon University, said consumers don’t necessarily know how to interpret these numbers.
“Don’t just give me a number, tell me how good this is. If you want to play video games,” she said, “if you want to stream movies.”
Additionally, the label only needs to be visible at the “point of sale”, so once you become a customer, you can find it with just a few more clicks.
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