§552 Consumer Protection and Customer Service

Summary

Local franchising authorities can set and enforce customer service rules for cable companies and can require construction schedules and performance related to building the cable system. The Commission must, within 180 days of October 5, 1992, create rules that cable companies can use to meet those customer service duties. At minimum, those rules must cover office hours and phone availability, how installs, outages, and service calls are handled, and how companies communicate with subscribers (for example, bills and refunds). A cable company may notify customers about service or price changes in any reasonable written way it chooses. The company does not have to give advance notice when a price change is caused by a regulatory fee, franchise fee, or any other fee, tax, assessment, or charge imposed by any Federal agency, State, or franchising authority on the transaction with the subscriber. States and franchising authorities may still pass and enforce consumer protection laws and may agree with operators to set customer service rules that are stricter than the federal standards or cover other matters.