SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — It may be difficult to find the phone plan that fits best for you and your family. Even people who go inside a store might have a hard time understanding what they’re signing up for and how much they’ll be paying each month.
Starting April 10, 2024 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is requiring wireless companies to put labels on their phone plans.
The broadband labels may look familiar. To many, they look like the nutritional labels on grocery items.
At the top of the label will be the monthly price. Towards the bottom of the label will be discounts and fees, including county or city taxes depending on where you live.
Verizon has been using the labels since mid-March both on Verizon’s website and in stores. According to Winnie Wright, Head of Communications at Verizon, every representative will display the labels to help customers decide on a plan. The FCC requires the labels to be visible and available to consumers at any point of sale.
"You may go in-store and request to see what your label would look like for your area. Because it's based on where you live," says Wright. "The government, the local municipality, taxes and fees are going to be different depending on where you live. But that has not taken into account the special offers and promotions that may be available to you as a new or as an existing customer."
The labels are available online and can be printed out to help consumers compare prices and plans of all the carriers.
If consumers don’t see the labels displayed in stores or on the websites by April 10th, you should file a complaint with the FCC.
The April deadline is for major wireless carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Smaller carriers (those with fewer than 100,000 customers) have until October to comply with the FCC requirement.
To learn more about the broadband labels and compare plans in your area, click here.