After deregulatory blitz, FCC scrambles to prevent ISP abuse during pandemic

Enlarge / FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. (credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg)

Under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission, Internet service providers today pledged to waive late fees and keep customers connected when they miss payments due to the coronavirus pandemic. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that many ISPs signed his "Keep Americans Connected Pledge." But while the pledge prevents disconnections and late fees, Pai was unwilling or unable to convince ISPs to waive data caps during the pandemic.

The full pledge reads as follows:

Given the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on American society, [Company Name] pledges for the next 60 days to:

(1) not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic;

(2) waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic; and

(3) open its Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.

Home-Internet and mobile providers that signed the pledge include Altice, AT&T, CenturyLink, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Frontier, Mediacom, Sprint, T-Mobile, TracFone, US Cellular, Verizon, and Windstream. Dozens of others signed as well (see full list).

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