WASHINGTON :Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said Monday the agency will drop a proposed Biden administration plan to ban broadband internet “bulk billing” for residents of apartments, condominiums and public housing.
The plan promised to prohibit a requirement for tenants to pay for broadband, cable, and satellite service provided by a specific communications provider even if they did not wish to take the service.
Carr, who took over as chair last week after being named by President Donald Trump, said the proposal “could have raised the price of internet service for Americans living in apartments by as much as 50 per cent.”
Previous FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in March the proposal would boost competition for communications service for millions of renters “by making it more profitable for competitive providers to deploy service in buildings where it is currently too expensive to serve consumers because tenants are required to take a certain provider’s service.”
The National Multifamily Housing Council, the National Apartment Association and the Real Estate Technology and Transformation Center on Monday praised Carr for withdrawing the proposal which would restrict high-speed internet bulk-billing agreements.
The groups said the decision means “millions of consumers – renters, homeowners and condominium owners – will continue to reap the benefits of bulk billing.”
They said agreements allow property owners to negotiate directly with internet-service providers, generally resulting in high-speed internet rates of as much as 50 per cent lower than standard retail pricing.
About 30 public interest groups supported the proposal, saying for “many tenants trapped with high-cost or less-capable internet that does not meet their needs, an opt out option provides a vital escape.” The groups added that “landlords do not necessarily have the incentive to pass on any savings negotiated with an (internet service provider) to the tenants.”
Carr has vowed to undo many other communications rules adopted by the FCC under Biden. An appeals court earlier this month struck down landmark Biden net neutrality rules.
