Technology Law banning “rental” fees for customer-owned routers takes effect Sunday

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
Reaction score
1,648
Broadband and TV providers will finally be required to stop charging "rental" fees for equipment that customers own themselves, thanks to a new US law that takes effect on Sunday.

The bogus fees were outlawed by the Television Viewer Protection Act (TVPA), which was approved by Congress and signed by President Trump in December 2019. The law was originally scheduled to take effect on June 20, but Congress gave the Federal Communications Commission leeway to delay enforcement by six months if the FCC "finds that good cause exists for such an additional extension."

The FCC in April granted the six-month delay to ISPs, claiming that providers needed more time to comply because of the coronavirus pandemic. That decision delayed implementation of the new requirements until December 20, 2020.

The change is good news for customers of Frontier Communications, which has insisted on charging $10 rental fees to customers who use their own routers. As we wrote in July 2019, Frontier claimed it charges the fee to cover higher support costs for customers who use their own equipment. But Frontier said at the same time that it "cannot support or repair non-Frontier equipment," contradicting its own justification for charging the fee.

Frontier took advantage of the six-month delay, telling Ars in June that it would "comply with the requirements when the law goes into effect" in December. Unlike Frontier, other major ISPs such as Comcast let customers avoid rental fees when they use their own routers.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • Varine Varine:
    His account on GitHub also hasn't had any activity since March. idk how often he's on there, though.
  • jonas jonas:
  • jonas jonas:
    maybe you can find him on linkedin
  • The Helper The Helper:
    I found his email and emailed him but have not heard back. I dont like it
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    Ohhh, I just came back from the airport. I'm so sorry. I was completely off grid since I left to Taiwan.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    Here's what happened. The earthquake happened while I was high above Hawaii.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    After landing, I got news that a big earthquake struck. Since I'm only there in Taiwan for a week, I figured the best option I have is to make sure my family is safe, and that we are all good to go from there.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    I didn't get any phone service plans because I am mainly visiting my family and staying indoors. Well, the earthquake made me forgot to go get phone service.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    And then a few days later, just north from my family, there was a giant plastic industrial complex that caught on fire, with the blaze burning for 1.5 days.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    There was some air pollution and smog outside.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    We did our Ching Ming Festival indoors with my father's family side, and occassionally traveling down southward to visit some farmlands, and paying a visit to my grandmother and my uncle on my mother's side.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    The whole trip was quite hectic, with occasional afterquakes throughout the week. This whole time, I completely forgot about giving updates on TH. :p Again, sorry for the lack of communications.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    As for Github, I often frequent there, boasting about my genetic algorithm for tools-assisted speedrunning and such. I'm also pretty active on Discord, with my tag @asperatology.
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    Yeah, the whole earthquake + air pollution combo made me completely forget about bringing updates. I'll be sure to keep on top of things after all things are less requiring my attentions.
    +2
  • The Helper The Helper:
    I am just glad that you are OK Tom! Thank you for the update!
  • Varine Varine:
    Glad to hear you're okay! I only knew about your Github cuz I tried to follow some of you when I was learning how to program, but didn't understand any of it so kind of quit paying attention to what anyone does on it
  • The Helper The Helper:
    Freaking storm outside is kicking!
  • Blackveiled Blackveiled:
    I wouldn't know, I'm in Joliet, Illinois right now working. I left Houston area about 2 weeks ago lol
  • Blackveiled Blackveiled:
    Not permanently of course, just a temporary job.
    +1
  • jonas jonas:
    Glad you're ok @tom_mai78101
  • jonas jonas:
    @Blackveiled you know another word for permanent? temporary
    +1
  • Varine Varine:
    Briefly, he'll only be there for the interim. Like a stopgap of sorts, he'll be back home in short time
  • O Old Mountain Shadow:
    Hurray! Tom has reappeared!

      The Helper Discord

      Staff online

      Members online

      Affiliates

      Hive Workshop NUON Dome World Editor Tutorials

      Network Sponsors

      Apex Steel Pipe - Buys and sells Steel Pipe.
      Top