June 20, 2023
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched an inquiry into data caps, which are limitations placed on the amount of data that some internet service providers (ISPs) allow their customers to consume each month.
The FCC is worried that data limitations might undermine competition by restricting customers’ access to important services such as online education and telemedicine. As a result, it intends to evaluate the impact of data limitations on customers and, if required, take steps to safeguard competition and assure continuous access to services.
The FCC’s inquiry comes as several ISPs have moved to reimpose or implement new data limitations. This is despite the fact that during the COVID-19 epidemic, when residential internet usage grew considerably, several ISPs lifted or postponed their bandwidth limitations.
Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC Chair, underlined the need of learning from the epidemic and evaluating what worked and what didn’t in terms of keeping people connected. She emphasized that when individuals seek internet connectivity, they are not worried about data constraints but rather with completing their duties. Rosenworcel stated that the FCC should reconsider how data limitations influence consumers and competition, implying that a new viewpoint is required.
The FCC is also encouraging customers to submit their experiences via a Data Caps Experience Form so that the FCC may better understand how these constraints affect certain populations, such as low-income consumers, people with disabilities, and communities with restricted access to internet services.
The sources for this piece include an article in TechSpot.
