Updated Broadband Label Rules Effective September 14, 2026

The simplified broadband consumer label rules governing what Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must disclose at their points of sale go into effect Monday, September 14, 2026.

The FCC has changed the broadband label requirements to:

• • allow providers to use a hyperlink or icon at the point of sale and within account portals in lieu of displaying the full label;
  • eliminate the requirement to display information about the now-concluded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP);
  • enable providers to simplify fee presentation to avoid label clutter;
  • eliminate the requirement that providers make label information available in machine readable database format;
    • ISPs are no longer required to host label data in spreadsheet formats (CSV, JSON, etc.) via a dedicated URL, but labels must remain compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers.
  • enable providers to describe label information in a more natural way over the phone;
    • Sales representatives will no longer be required to read a broadband label verbatim. While this change will allow more conversational sales calls, sales representatives must still summarize specific “material” parts of the service, including:
      • Monthly prices (including fees/introductory rates/duration)
      • Typical download and upload speeds and latency
      • Data allowances
      • Term/duration of contracts and early termination fees;
  • eliminate the requirement that providers archive labels for at least two years after a plan has been discontinued.

The requirements that labels be accessible to people with disabilities and that providers display labels in any language(s) in which they market their services remain in effect despite these revisions.

The changes for how providers must disclose passthrough fees are delayed indefinitely, pending approval from the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. These new rules will permit aggregation of passthrough fees, allowing ISPs to display a maximum "up to" amount that applies across the service territory, or the exact total for a specific jurisdiction. If ISPs choose the "up to" aggregate option, they must identify and break the total passthrough fees into two categories: (1) governmental passthrough fees, and (2) non-governmental third-party infrastructure fees. Providers must also include a link to a webpage they maintain which contains a clear description of each type of passthrough fee. The FCC will publish a separate notice once the passthrough fee provision takes effect.

For more information about the FCC’s Report and Order on Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency, contact Steve Coran in our Broadband, Spectrum, and Communications Infrastructure Practice Group