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FCC-Feature

More people than ever are filing complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Chairman Ajit Pai is non okay with that sort of matter. This week, the FCC volition vote on changes to the informal complaint system used by most consumers that could go far harder (and more costly) to get your voice heard by the FCC. What used to be gratuitous could cost you $225.

Currently, y'all tin file an informal complaint with the FCC if yous feel you've been wronged by a telecommunications firm under FCC purview. The agency will (eventually) evaluate your claim, contact the company, and require a written answer. Information technology is too required to take these complaints into consideration when making rules. There is too a formal complaint process in the event you're not happy with the issue of the informal 1. It costs $225 and requires the parties to appear before the FCC and file documents to address legal problems pertaining to the complaint.

Equally early equally this calendar week, the FCC could neuter the informal complaint process. Under the proposed rules, the FCC would no longer evaluate informal complaints at all. Instead, information technology would forrad them along to the company without comment and would pursue it no further. You lot don't need the FCC to exercise that — you lot could just as easily send a toothless complaint to the company on your ain.

If you desire the FCC to really run into your complaint and address it, the FCC thinks you should take to become through the formal complaint procedure and pay the $225 fee. Plainly, most consumers won't spend the money to do that, and they're not prepared for the rigorousness of the process. If your ISP does something that costs you less than the filing fee, yous might not carp complaining to the FCC at all. And look at that! Complaints against telecom companies are at an all-fourth dimension depression. The net neutrality repeal has fixed the internet!

pai fcc

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

US Business firm Democrats have sent a letter of the alphabet to the FCC seeking an explanation for the proposed dominion change. The FCC has claimed that it's non changing anything near the informal complaint process, but that seems inaccurate. Allow's not forget the current FCC claimed the net neutrality repeal fixed the net even before it had gone into effect. Ajit Pai has a way of massaging the truth that should make consumers nervous.

The FCC will vote on the complaint "streamlining" proposal on Thursday, July 12. The Commission's three Republican members usually vote together to advance Pai's calendar.