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It Is Now Illegal For ISPs To Charge You A Modem Rental Fee By Tyler Lee, on 12/20/2020 16:56 PST
Typically whenever we sign up for an internet plan with an internet service provider (ISP), they will give us a modem to use. This modem is more than capable of getting the job done, but it’s not necessarily the best in terms of speed or coverage, which is why more often than not, a lot of us usually end up upgrading our own equipment.
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However, some ISPs still continue to charge for modem “rental” even if we have our own devices, but the good news is that they will no longer be allowed to do so. In a law that has come into effect on the 20th of December, 2020, the Television Viewer Protection Act will now make it illegal for ISPs and TV providers from charging customers a “rental” fee for equipment that they already own themselves. This includes things like modems and cable boxes.
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Photo: Mandel Ngan, Getty Images
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If you’ve ever wondered why you still have to pay your internet provider rental fees for a modem even after you bought it, I have some good news: A new U.S. law is shutting that shit down from here on out.
As Ars Technica notes, the Television Viewer Protection Act goes into effect starting Dec. 20, which bans broadband and TV providers from charging rental fees for equipment customers own themselves such as modems and cable boxes. The law was approved in December 2019 and was originally set to go into effect on June 20, but Congress authorised the Federal Communications Commission to grant an extension after ISPs argued that the pandemic made the original deadline impractical. Man
December 19th, 2020
Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture alliance via Getty Images
Has your internet provider ever charged rental fees for a modem even after you bought one? You won’t have that pushback any longer. As
Ars Technicanotes, the Television Viewer Protection Act taking effect December 20th will ban ISPs and TV providers from charging rental fees for equipment customers own themselves, whether they’re modems or cable boxes. The law was originally slated to take effect on June 20th, but Congress let the FCC delay the measure under claims the pandemic made the original timing impractical.
Many companies had already implemented policies, but this will force some vendors to change their behavior. Frontier Communications in particular had insisted on charging rental fees for modems under claims it was covering higher support costs for bring-your-own hardware customers despite acknowledging that it couldn’t support that equipment.
TV and Broadband Providers Must Stop Charging Bogus Rental Fees
December 18, 2020
A law prohibiting TV and broadband providers from charging a rental fee for equipment the customer owns is going into effect Sunday.
TV and broadband providers are among the most hated industries in America. Both industries are notorious for offering “introductory pricing,” only to increase the price significantly once the period is over. The industries are also known for “hidden fees” and charging rental fees for equipment the customer owns.
A new law is set to prohibit the latter issues starting Sunday, following a six-month extension provided by the FCC as a result of the pandemic. As part of the Television Viewer Protection Act, providers will be prohibited from charging rental fees for equipment the customer provides. The providers must also make a good-faith effort to explain fees and be transparent about the costs of service.