Here's what's changed for internet service providers under new FCC rules for apartments

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With a 4-0 vote, the Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules banning revenue-sharing agreements for internet service providers (ISPs) and multi-tenant environments (MTEs), requiring disclosure of exclusive marketing arrangements and closing loopholes around indoor cable wiring regulations. The FCC has banned revenue-sharing agreements that it says inhibit competition. Those include exclusive agreements, whereby one provider has a revenue-sharing deal with the building, and incremental revenue-sharing agreements, which is when an ISP increases rev-share with a landlord as more tenants sign up. The new rules also require broadband providers to disclose to tenants "in plain language" if they have an exclusive marketing agreement with the landlord, in order to make tenants aware of their choices. The other change is a clarification to an existing ruling to prohibit sale-and-leaseback arrangements. This closes a loophole that has allowed some companies to gain exclusive access to building cables.

[Nicole Ferraro is Site Editor at Broadband World News and Senior Editor of global broadband coverage at Light Reading.]


Here's what's changed for ISPs under new FCC rules for apartments