The FCC has released a public notice announcing the official new consumer broadband labels. Internet providers may use the labels, which describe pricing, speeds, latency, data caps, equipment costs, and early termination fees among other things, as a formatting “safe harbor” for their required disclosures to consumers. The FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee first proposed these labels in October 2015 pursuant to the FCC’s 2015 Open Internet Order, and the FCC incorporated design changes to make the labels consumer-friendly. Though use of the broadband labels is voluntary and will remain so even when the FCC’s new enhanced transparency rules take effect, the FCC encourages broadband providers to start using the labels.
