FCC looks to 'nutritional labels' for Internet service shopping

Customers shopping for Internet service are a step closer to having access to nutritional label-like disclosures that will help them easily compare prices and speed offerings from different providers. A government-sanctioned committee unveiled a set of sample disclosure forms that Internet service providers like Comcast or Verizon will be encouraged to offer potential customers, which will outline prices for stand-alone Internet service, average speed measures, and any network management rules that apply.

The Federal Communications Commission Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) developed two sample forms -- one for fixed broadband and one for mobile. The committee also encouraged the FCC to have a graphic designer make sure the disclosure forms -- to be featured on companies' main marketing web pages -- are easy to read for consumers. "We find that the Committee’s experience with consumer disclosure issues makes it an ideal body to recommend a disclosure format that should be clear and easy to read -- similar to a nutrition label -- to allow consumers to easily compare the services of different providers," the FCC wrote in its net neutrality rules, which set off the process.