On October 23, 2024, the FCC adopted a Notice of Inquiry (“NOI”) seeking comment on ways to ensure that consumers have access to customer service resources required to interact with their services in a manner sufficient to efficiently resolve issues, avoid unnecessary charges, and make informed choices regarding the services they receive. The FCC is specifically seeking comment on the following topics:
- The simplicity of cancellation and equipment return processes.
- Timely access to live representatives and the role of AI in customer support.
- Updating the FCC’s customer service standards for cable operators related to installations, outages, and service calls, and whether to extend the cable customer service (or similar) requirements to DBS, voice, and broadband providers.
- Practices surrounding automatic renewals and price increases, particularly following trial or promotional periods.
- Strategies to improve accessibility of customer service resources for individuals with disabilities and speakers of English as a second language.
- The impact of changes in the cable marketplace over the past 30 years on current customer service laws and potential enforcement mechanisms the FCC could implement.
- Whether to adopt a waiver for service providers that may be unable to comply with the new customer service standards the FCC may adopt without undue hardship.
- The legal authority of the FCC to pursue this inquiry.
Comments are due on or before November 22, 2024.
Reply comments are due on or before December 9, 2024.
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