FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Aims to Promote Broadband Choice in Apartments

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared a Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling that would promote competition and increase choice for broadband services for people living and working in multiple tenant environments (MTEs). The measures, if adopted, would halt practices that evade long-existing FCC rules intended to allow tenants to choose their own provider. To promote broadband competition and deployment in MTEs, the Order and Declaratory Ruling, if adopted by a vote of the full FCC, would:

• Prohibit providers from entering into graduated revenue sharing agreements or exclusive revenue-sharing agreements with a building owner;
• Require providers to disclose to tenants in plain language the existence of exclusive marketing arrangements that they have with building owners;
• End a practice that circumvents the FCC’s cable inside wiring rules by clarifying that existing Commission rules prohibit sale-and-leaseback arrangements that effectively block access to alternative providers.