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America's largest internet providers have been asked to provide details of any price hikes or broadband restrictions they have placed on captive internet users during the pandemic.
In a letter from House Commerce Committee chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), as well as the chair of its technology subcommittee Mike Doyle (D-PA), the lawmakers cite the case of Comcast placing new data caps on internet users to ask the other ISPs what they have done to their customers.
Clearly Pallone and Doyle suspect broader restrictions and profit-seeking against millions of Americans stuck at and working from home. They make it plain they aren't happy about it.
"This is an egregious action at a time when households and small businesses across the country need high-speed, reliable broadband more than ever but are struggling to make ends meet," the letters to Altice, AT&T, CenturyLink, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Frontier, T-Mobile and Verizon note.
[...] There is nothing that lawmakers can do of course to force ISPs to lower prices, or remove caps, or waive fees - except ask embarrassing questions. And that's exactly what the letter does: "Did your company participate in the FCC's "Keep Americans Connected" pledge?" reads the first.
Then it asks: have you increased prices, do you plan on increasing prices? Did you have a data cap prior to March 2020? How about now? Have you disconnected any customers? Do you have a plan for low-income households? And so on.
How's your ISP been treating you recently? Any sign of the things mentioned here, good or bad?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @07:49PM (7 children)
Honestly, at this point I'm thinking you're probably just a stupid Republican pretending to be an even stupider Democrat, because of how much of a caricature you are. I feel kind of dumb myself for being taken in by it at this point. The stupid Reddit quoting was a nice touch.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @08:15PM (6 children)
> Since your little neocon, war-mongering, bank-loving Republican pea brain
Ooo. Deja vu. And this is why projection is insufficient as a debate tactic!
> If so, it is not the case. I lost it about halfway through the Obama administration when he became a cheerleader for the bankers
Oh and look at this late-breaking entry into re-establishing your cover!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @08:18PM (5 children)
I'm done with you troll. Good job impersonating a stupid Democrat who can't fathom that anyone might question his incredibly tenuous worldview who isn't a Trump voter.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @08:39PM (4 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @10:34PM (3 children)
Stupid fucking Republicans, and Republicans pretending to be former liberals who have had their feefees seriously hurt by frozen peaches!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @11:04PM (2 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @11:37PM (1 child)
Will you two just find a room and fuck already? There's more sexual tension here than on an episode of Cheers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @11:42PM