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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Short answer: The FCC did not eliminate broadband price labels or allow internet providers to stop disclosing all fees. Its July 2026 action lets providers combine certain location-dependent “passthrough” charges—such as right-of-way or pole-attachment costs—into one exact total or an “up to” amount instead of listing each charge separately. Taxes, provider-created fees, one-time charges and other required disclosures remain subject to the label rules. The final order’s effective date and implementation details should be verified in the Federal Register before relying on the change.
What the FCC changed
Broadband Consumer Labels still have to appear when a provider offers a stand-alone internet plan for sale. The change is narrower: an ISP may stop showing every qualifying passthrough fee as its own line item. It can instead present the combined amount for a particular address or a maximum that applies somewhere in the plan’s service area. The FCC’s example is “Up to $13.95 per month.” Providers may continue itemizing the charges if they prefer.
The FCC reported the action as a July 22, 2026 vote. Because the available order does not establish an operative date here, check the final Federal Register notice for when providers must change their labels.
What is a broadband consumer label?
Congress ordered the FCC to create standardized broadband disclosures in Section 60504 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58). The FCC adopted the framework in 2022 and published final rules in 2023. Larger providers generally began displaying labels on April 10, 2024; smaller providers received additional time.
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Under 47 C.F.R. § 8.1, labels must be prominent, publicly available and accessible, including to people with disabilities. They are intended to let shoppers compare the real terms of a plan before purchase and generally include:
- the standard monthly price;
- introductory and post-promotional prices;
- data allowances, typical speeds and latency;
- recurring and one-time charges;
- early-termination terms;
- links to network-management and privacy information; and
- other required service terms.
Which fees may be combined?
The new option applies to a specific category of monthly charge. A fee must meet all three conditions:
- It is imposed by a government entity or a third-party infrastructure owner, rather than created by the ISP.
- The provider chooses to pass that cost through to customers instead of including it in the base price.
- The amount varies with the customer’s location.
Examples include state or local right-of-way charges and pole-attachment fees imposed by a pole owner. These are not necessarily taxes, and the provider’s decision to pass them through is separate from the underlying assessment.
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Fees that still require separate attention
The aggregation permission does not erase other disclosure duties.
| Charge category | How to treat it |
|---|---|
| Taxes | Excluded from the FCC’s passthrough-fee definition and handled under the applicable tax-disclosure rules. |
| Provider-created fees | Remain subject to itemization unless the provider includes them in the advertised base price. |
| Location-invariant fees | Are not the target of this location-based aggregation option. |
| Activation, installation, equipment or deposit charges | Remain part of the label’s additional-charges disclosures. |
| Early-termination fees | Must be identified with an explanation or link describing when they apply. |
A provider can voluntarily continue listing qualifying passthrough charges one by one. It can also incorporate them into a combined base price, subject to the label requirements.
Before-and-after example
The following is illustrative, not an actual ISP bill.
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| Separate presentation | Permitted aggregate presentation |
|---|---|
| Base plan: $70 Right-of-way fee: $2.10 Pole-attachment fee: $1.75 Other location-dependent passthrough fee: $0.90 Total before tax: $74.75 |
Base plan: $70 Location-dependent passthrough fees: up to $4.75 per month Potential total before tax: up to $74.75 |
An “up to” figure is a ceiling that may apply somewhere in the service area. It is not necessarily the amount charged at a particular address. Ask the provider for the exact amount tied to your service location.
Why the FCC says it made the change
The FCC says a single plan can require different labels in many jurisdictions when charges vary by address. It argues that maintaining all those versions creates administrative work and can make labels so long that fee detail overwhelms prices, speed and data information. The agency also says Congress required broadband labels but did not expressly require separate lines for location-variable passthrough charges. Its proposal and rationale are described in FCC-25-74.
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What consumer advocates worry about
Consumer groups argued that aggregation can hide the identity of a charge and the party receiving it. A maximum may be harder to use for budgeting than an address-specific amount. Less granular information can also make it more difficult to compare providers, challenge a new surcharge or determine whether a charge is a tax, an infrastructure assessment or an ISP-created fee. Advocates have also opposed removing structured, machine-readable data and archives because those records support affordability research and historical price comparisons.
That does not make the fees legally “hidden”: they still must appear in some form on the label. The practical issue is reduced diagnostic detail.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Other 2026 label revisions
The passthrough change is part of a broader revision package described in the FCC’s order (DOC-422742A1.pdf). Depending on the provision and its effective date, the package includes:
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- allowing a prominent direct hyperlink or icon to the specific label in certain online sales and customer-portal settings;
- removing the expired Affordable Connectivity Program reference;
- eliminating the separate machine-readable spreadsheet requirement;
- ending the two-year archive requirement for discontinued plans;
- keeping English and any other languages in which the provider markets service;
- moving the template out of the Code of Federal Regulations so future template changes can be made through a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau public notice with advance notice and version history; and
- updating the FCC website reference in the template.
A direct link must take a shopper to the relevant plan’s label without unnecessary navigation. Removing a spreadsheet or archive requirement does not remove the general accessibility obligation. The FCC also declined to prescribe a mandatory telephone-sales script; that is not the same as permission to omit information required during a phone sale.
How to compare internet plans when fees are aggregated
- Start with the address. Ask whether the label’s passthrough number is exact for your location or an area-wide maximum.
- Separate the price categories. Record the base price, promotional end date, taxes, equipment, provider fees and passthrough amount independently.
- Request the fee names. If the label shows one aggregate line, ask which charges it contains, who imposes them and whether each applies to your address.
- Check one-time costs. Confirm activation, installation, equipment, deposits and any waived-charge conditions.
- Read the contract terms. Note early-termination fees, data limits, speed descriptions and network-management policies.
- Save evidence. Keep a screenshot or PDF of the label, the order confirmation and the first bill. This is especially important if discontinued-plan archives are no longer required.
- Compare the likely all-in amount. Use the address-specific total—not the large advertised base price—to compare competing plans.
What this means for your monthly bill
The FCC action changes how some charges are displayed, not the underlying authority to impose a particular fee and not the advertised price by itself. A provider cannot turn a provider-created surcharge into a qualifying passthrough fee merely by relabeling it. Conversely, an aggregate line can make a legitimate infrastructure charge harder to identify. The most reliable comparison is the amount the provider says applies to your address, plus taxes and all equipment or one-time costs.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: The FCC narrowed, rather than ended, broadband fee transparency. Qualifying location-dependent passthrough charges may now appear as one exact total or an “up to” maximum, while labels, taxes, provider-set fees, one-time charges and early-termination disclosures remain part of the consumer-protection framework.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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