It Is Now Illegal For ISPs To Charge You A Modem Rental Fee

Typically whenever we sign up for an internet plan with an internet service provider (ISP), they will give us a modem to use. This modem is more than capable of getting the job done, but it’s not necessarily the best in terms of speed or coverage, which is why more often than not, a lot of us usually end up upgrading our own equipment.

However, some ISPs still continue to charge for modem “rental” even if we have our own devices, but the good news is that they will no longer be allowed to do so. In a law that has come into effect on the 20th of December, 2020, the Television Viewer Protection Act will now make it illegal for ISPs and TV providers from charging customers a “rental” fee for equipment that they already own themselves. This includes things like modems and cable boxes.

Like we said, there is a good chance that many of us at home probably use our own modems and not the ones supplied by our ISPs, so it doesn’t make sense for ISPs to charge a “rental” for a device we bought ourselves. This law was initially set to go into effect in June, but the FCC requested for a delay, claiming that due to the pandemic, it made the timing of the law “impractical”.

Either way, it has now come into effect which is good news for those who are more tech savvy who prefer using their own equipment but hate paying these “rental” fees.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Legal, Social Hit