The Federal Communications Commission is considering a proposal that would ban landlords from bulk charging tenants for cable, internet and satellite services, giving them more choices for the services they need.
Ahead of President Joe Biden’s meeting with the Competition Commission on Tuesday, the White House announced in a press release that the agency is circulating a proposed rule banning the practice of “bulk billing.” It’s part of a broader push for policies that lower costs for Americans as Biden seeks to appeal to economically focused voters as he seeks re-election later this year. National economic adviser Lael Brainard told reporters on a conference call Monday that the theme of cost reduction will resurface in Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday.
Bulk billing limits consumer choice by limiting the price and level of cable and internet service available to consumers, the White House said in a news release. The White House said the new proposal would also target other “exclusive arrangements” between landlords and service providers, such as exclusive wiring and marketing arrangements or revenue-sharing agreements.
The Biden administration is also making progress on its earlier crackdown on garbage fees, which are additional fees charged by companies including banks, car rental agencies and event ticket sellers. Several different agencies have been working on proposals to crack down on trash fees, including the Federal Trade Commission, which last fall proposed a rule that would require businesses to provide the full price of a service up front rather than hiding additional fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also announced Tuesday it was finalizing a rule that would lower credit card late fees from an average of $31 to $8. The Council of Economic Advisers, an internal White House agency, found that these actions would collectively reduce garbage bills by more than $20 billion per year in the future, down from its estimate of $90 billion per year.