Broadband Label Compliance: An Essential Checklist for ISPs - ETI
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October 17, 2024

Broadband Label Compliance: An Essential Checklist for ISPs

Navigating the FCC’s broadband label requirements involves several critical steps that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must follow to ensure full compliance. This blog post outlines the three essential actions that ISPs need to undertake.  Each step supported by ETI’s Broadband Label Genie.

Prominent Display of Labels

The FCC mandates that broadband labels must be visibly displayed and not merely accessible via a link. This requirement ensures that consumers can view their broadband plan details—such as fees, speeds, and other service terms—at the point of sale without extra steps. It’s crucial for ISPs to integrate these labels directly where services are advertised, whether on websites or in physical stores.

ETI’s Solution: ETI’s Broadband Label Genie automatically updates and generates labels for easy integration into websites. For offline sales channels, it can create a PDF file of the label for embedding into printed materials. This tool ensures that labels are always up to date with the latest FCC guidelines and are displayed prominently alongside service offerings.

Accessibility in Account Portals

Under the new FCC regulations, ISPs must ensure that each customer can easily access their specific service label through online account portals. This accessibility helps customers verify and understand the details of the services they are receiving and the costs involved.

ETI’s Solution: ETI’s Broadband Label Genie provides a comprehensive database management solution that records every historical price point and package combination. This capability allows ISPs to display the correct labels within customer portals dynamically. Whether it’s a past or current subscription, customers can always find the relevant labels associated with their services, ensuring transparency and enhancing customer trust.

Machine Readability for Third-Party Use

To aid comparison shopping and enhance market transparency, the FCC requires that the information contained within the labels be available in a machine-readable format. This format allows third-party developers to create tools that help consumers compare different ISPs based on standardized data.

ETI’s Solution: ETI’s Broadband Label Genie utilizes its database-driven system to generate machine-readable files that comply with the FCC’s specifications, available here. This system is designed to update these files automatically whenever product specifications change or new products are added to an ISP’s catalog, ensuring ongoing compliance without additional effort from the provider.

Additional Compliance Considerations

Beyond these fundamental requirements, ISPs must also be prepared to handle specific scenarios such as:

  • Documentation of Label Distribution: For any sales process not conducted online, ISPs must maintain documentation that proves labels were shared according to FCC mandates. This documentation might include training materials and sales process descriptions, which should be retained for at least two years.
  • Bundled Services: When services are bundled (e.g., internet with VoIP or video services), additional details must be clarified through direct links from the main label to detailed descriptions on the ISP’s website. This ensures customers understand what they are purchasing and the associated costs.
  • Update and Maintenance: Compliance is not a one-time effort but an ongoing requirement. ETI’s solutions help ISPs keep their compliance efforts streamlined and efficient, adapting to regulatory changes with minimal disruption.

Simplifying Compliance with ETI Software

The FCC’s broadband label requirements are designed to empower consumers and ensure they have access to clear and accurate information about their internet services. By leveraging ETI Software’s Broadband Label Genie, ISPs can not only meet these regulatory demands more efficiently but also improve their service transparency and customer satisfaction.

To learn more about how ETI can help simplify your compliance processes and keep you ahead of regulatory requirements, visit www.broadbandfacts.ai or contact us directly at info@broadbandfacts.ai. Embrace compliance with confidence and let ETI handle the complexities of broadband labels for you.

 

About the Author

Rhyan Neble - Vice President, Product Innovation

Rhyan has over fifteen years of experience developing and managing comprehensive telecommunications solutions and technical services in the continental US and Netherlands Antilles. Rhyan implemented one of the first Fiber-to-the-Home networks in the Pacific Northwest as well as the first RFID lift access system in the US.