§562 — Title 47 Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs | U.S. Code

Summary

Providers must tell a customer the total monthly price for a service before making a contract. They must do this by phone, in person, online, or another reasonable way. The price must show any promotion and when that promotion ends. It must include administrative, equipment, or other charges and give a best estimate of any federal, state, or local taxes or fees the provider must collect or pass on. After the contract is signed, the provider must send the same price information to the customer by email, an online link, or similar means within 24 hours. The customer then has 24 hours after receiving that copy to cancel the contract with no early termination or disconnection penalties. If a bill is sent electronically, it must separately show the service charge and taxes/fees, the contract end date, and when any promo ends. A provider may not charge for using equipment the customer already owns. A provider may not bill for equipment it never gave the customer, and may only charge for equipment a customer returned for the time it was actually used. Definitions: “broadband internet access service” — meaning from federal rules; “covered equipment” — equipment on a customer’s premises used to get service (for example, a router); “covered service” — service provided by a multichannel video programming distributor when it is acting as such.

Title 47, §562

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Before entering into a contract with a consumer for the provision of a covered service, a provider of a covered service shall provide the consumer, by phone, in person, online, or by other reasonable means, the total monthly charge for the covered service, whether offered individually or as part of a bundled service, selected by the consumer (explicitly noting the amount of any applicable promotional discount reflected in such charge and when such discount will expire), including any related administrative fees, equipment fees, or other charges, a good faith estimate of any tax, fee, or charge imposed by the Federal Government or a State or local government (whether imposed on the provider or imposed on the consumer but collected by the provider), and a good faith estimate of any fee or charge that is used to recover any other assessment imposed on the provider by the Federal Government or a State or local government.

(2)A provider of a covered service that enters into a contract described in paragraph (1) shall, not later than 24 hours after entering into the contract, send the consumer, by email, online link, or other reasonably comparable means, a copy of the information described in such paragraph.

(3)A provider of a covered service that enters into a contract described in paragraph (1) shall permit the consumer to cancel the contract, without paying early cancellation fees or other disconnection fees or penalties, during the 24-hour period beginning when the provider of the covered service sends the copy required by paragraph (2).

(b)If a provider of a covered service provides a bill to a consumer in an electronic format, the provider shall include in the bill—

(1)an itemized statement that breaks down the total amount charged for or relating to the provision of the covered service by the amount charged for the provision of the service itself and the amount of all related taxes, administrative fees, equipment fees, or other charges;

(2)the termination date of the contract for the provision of the covered service entered into between the consumer and the provider; and

(3)the termination date of any applicable promotional discount.

(c)A provider of a covered service or fixed broadband internet access service may not charge a consumer for—

(1)using covered equipment provided by the consumer; or

(2)renting, leasing, or otherwise providing to the consumer covered equipment if—

(A)the provider has not provided the equipment to the consumer; or

(B)the consumer has returned the equipment to the provider, except to the extent that the charge relates to the period beginning on the date when the provider provided the equipment to the consumer and ending on the date when the consumer returned the equipment to the provider.

(d)In this section:

(1)The term “broadband internet access service” has the meaning given such term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(2)The term “covered equipment” means equipment (such as a router) employed on the premises of a person (other than a provider of a covered service or fixed broadband internet access service) to provide a covered service or to provide fixed broadband internet access service.

(3)The term “covered service” means service provided by a multichannel video programming distributer,11 So in original. Probably should be “distributor,”. to the extent such distributor is acting as a multichannel video programming distributor.

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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 116–94, div. P, title X, § 1004(b), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3201, provided that: “section 642 of the Communications Act of 1934 [47 U.S.C. 562], as added by subsection (a) of this section, shall apply beginning on the date that is 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 2019]. The Federal Communications Commission may grant an additional 6-month extension if the Commission finds that good cause exists for such an additional extension.”

§562 Requirements relating to charges for covered services

Summary

Title 47, §562

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata