The US Federal Communications Commission has voted to scrap a Biden-era requirement that internet service providers itemise every "passthrough" fee on their broadband price labels. The rule, introduced in 2023, was meant to stop bill shock by making ISPs list all discretionary monthly charges they pass on to customers, helping consumers compare prices accurately. Providers had lobbied against the itemisation requirement, arguing it was burdensome, and the change means they can once again advertise headline prices that understate what customers will actually pay.

Under the new rules, proposed by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, ISPs can display an aggregate "up to" figure for passthrough fees rather than listing each one separately, and may link to price labels instead of showing them prominently on ordering pages and account portals. The Commission voted 3-0 to approve the change, with Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez joining the Republican majority after securing a compromise: labels must still describe fees remitted to state and local governments and those paid to third parties, with a link to further detail on each fee type, such as E911 or pole attachment charges. Gomez said she would have preferred full itemisation, but welcomed the added descriptions; the order takes effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.