FCC Approves Rules to Remove and Streamline Cable Rate Regulations

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules that will deliver on the administration’s call for agencies to unleash prosperity through deregulation, by removing from its cable rate regulations approximately 27 pages, 11,475 words, 77 rules or requirements, and 8 forms. Many of the Commission’s rules governing cable rate regulation have been rendered obsolete or unworkable due to the sunset of cable programming service tier rate regulation and the passage of time. The newly adopted  rules will help to increase government efficiency by:

• Eliminating unnecessary forms and rules,
• Reducing unnecessary burdens on cable operators by deregulating cable equipment not used exclusively to receive the basic service tier,
• Empowering small businesses by exempting them from rate regulation,
• Declining to extend rate regulation to commercial establishments, and
• Modernizing rules to account for the sunset of cable programming service tier rate regulation in determining basic service tier rates and to simplify and streamline the remaining regulations.