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The Television Viewer Protection Act finally went into effect last month, so I was curious to see how companies like Comcast and Spectrum are dealing the billing transparency component in particular. None of these companies are known for being up-front about pricing; would the new law change things?
Short answer: Not really. Cable companies still advertise prices far below what you’ll actually pay, and some of them avoid revealing their true prices until the last possible moment. Even if they’re following the letter of the law, they’re not quite capturing the spirit.
The ever-expanding cable bill
Geeky Gadgets
8:00 am
When we sign up for an internet plan with an internet service provider, they normally give us a modem to use. That modem is more than capable, but it’s not necessarily the best in terms of speed, which is why a lot of us end up upgrading with our own equipment.
Some ISPs still continue to charge for modem rentals even if we have our own, but they will no longer be allowed to do this. Thanks to a law that has come into effect on December 20th, 2020. The Television Viewer Protection Act makes it illegal for ISPs and TV providers to charge customers a “rental” fee for equipment that they already own. This includes modems and cable boxes.
Internet Providers Can’t Charge You for This Anymore
Starting this month, your ISP no longer can bill you for this fee.
The federal government has put an extra gift in your stocking this holiday season.
As of Dec. 20, your internet service provider no longer can levy “rental” charges when you use your own equipment such as a modem or router with internet service.
The change is part of the Television Viewer Protection Act, which President Donald J. Trump signed into law in December 2019 as part of a larger legislative package. The law applies to companies that provide broadband internet access, including companies that also provide TV services.
Tue, Dec 22nd 2020 6:41am
Karl Bode
For much of the last few years, broadband customers have been complaining that Frontier Communications, the nation s third-biggest telco, had been charging its customers a rental fee for modems they already owned. Normally, you re supposed to be able to buy your own modem instead of paying your ISP a rental fee upwards of $10 per month. To nab some extra dough from captive customers, Frontier basically decided to charge its customers a rental fee anyway, giving them a polite, though giant, middle finger when they complained.
This façade persisted until customers had a problem with their hardware, at which point the ISP would just shrug and claim there was nothing they could do. When consumers complained to the Trump FCC about this, the agency did. absolutely nothing. As with most complaints to the Trump FCC, the agency just forwards your complaint to the ISP in question then does. nothing whatsoever.