One of the strange things about American apartment living is “bulk billing.” This is a practice in which a landlord decides which ISP will service the entire complex and requires residents to use that provider even if they prefer a rival.
If that ISP doesn’t work, you’re in luck. You’ll literally have to live with that ISP, which probably won’t last long. On Tuesday, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed regulations that would eliminate such bulk billing.
“Everyone has the right to choose their broadband provider, which is why it’s not right for your building or complex to choose that service, be hit with costs it doesn’t want, and be unable to sign up to the plan or provider it really wants. ” she declared. “This proposal would discourage this practice.”
If enacted, the proposed rule would: [PDF] It prohibits building owners from forcing tenants to pay for broadband, cable, or satellite services as part of their rent or utility package. Additionally, it will also be possible for existing tenants to opt out of established arrangements.
Rosenworcel’s office argued that the regulation would also increase competition, as it would be more profitable for competing providers to set up shop. The FCC argues that tenants are more likely to consider alternative broadband providers if they are not stuck paying for both building connectivity and the services they actually need.
It is unclear to what extent building owners will be responsible for allowing service provider infrastructure to be installed to support alternative broadband providers. Even if a tenant opts out, it’s not hard to imagine scenarios where alternative service providers are not available.
But before this can happen, Rosenworcel’s proposal must first be presented to the full committee. If adopted, a comment period will begin during which agencies will seek feedback on the proposed bulk billing ban.
This is not the first time the FCC has gone after a building owner. Previous regulations adopted by the FCC in 2022 prohibited broadband providers from entering into revenue-sharing agreements and required them to disclose exclusive marketing agreements.
Improving access to broadband services, especially in rural and underserved areas, has been a key talking point for the Biden administration in recent years.
The effort includes carving out $42.5 billion of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal to improve the nation’s broadband network under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. There is.
Meanwhile, Rosenworcel has repeatedly called for greater transparency in pricing and privacy. He also called on the FCC to raise the minimum broadband standards to 100 Mb/s downstream and 20 Mb/s upstream.
One of the questions that will be considered next is whether the FCC should ban cable and satellite television providers that disguise video services on their bills as taxes, fees, or other surcharges. ®
