ISPs offer such excellent customer service they don’t need regulating, say ISPs

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last month announced a review of the customer service offered by ISPs (internet service providers), stating that this was often so poor it made it hard for consumers to switch providers.

But ISPs have responded through a lobbying group, claiming that they offer “effective and user-friendly” customer service and therefore new regulations are not needed …

The FCC last month announced it was considering the need to regulate ISPs to make it easier for consumers to switch to a new provider.

Dealing with customer service should be easy. But all too often consumers of communications services cannot get help without navigating a complex maze of chatbots and other automated tools, experiencing delays that leave them exhausted and no closer to resolving their problem. Consumers can even be deterred from or delay switching services, which in turn harms the marketplace.

We thus initiate this inquiry on ways to ensure that consumers have appropriate access to the customer service resources they require to interact with their service provider in a manner that allows them to efficiently resolve issues, avoid unnecessary charges, and make informed choices regarding the services they obtain from these service providers. We inquire about initiatives that could not only take some of the pain out of routine customer service problems, but also advance consumer choice by making it easier to change providers when they are frustrated.

Arstechnica reports on the response by industry lobbying group NCTA.

Cable lobby group NCTA-The Internet & Television Association told the FCC that “providing high-quality products and services and a positive customer experience is a competitive necessity in today’s robust communications marketplace. To attract and retain customers, NCTA’s cable operator members continuously strive to ensure that the customer support they provide is effective and user-friendly. Given these strong marketplace imperatives, new regulations that would micromanage providers’ customer service operations are unnecessary.”

A lobbying group representing the big comms companies agreed.

USTelecom, which represents telcos such as AT&T and Verizon, said that “the competitive broadband marketplace leaves providers of broadband and other communications services no choice but to provide their customers with not only high-quality broadband, but also high-quality customer service.”

So there you have it: everything is absolutely fine.

Sadly the chances of the FCC being able to act on its concerns are now low, thanks to the incoming administration.

The proceeding won’t go any further under incoming Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican chosen by President-elect Donald Trump. Carr dissented from the Notice of Inquiry, saying that the potential actions explored by the FCC exceed its authority […]

With Carr at the helm, ISPs are likely to get what they’re asking for: No new regulations and elimination of at least some current rules. 

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