Broadband bills must show the real price—no more hidden fees
H.R. 5550 — Lower Internet Costs Act · Filed by Josh Harder (D-CA) · Introduced Sep 23, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill requires broadband providers to show customers the full price they'll actually pay in a single, clear line item on their bills and in ads—no hidden fees buried in fine print. It also bans providers from charging certain deceptive fees (like 'network maintenance' or 'state cost recovery' charges) that are really just ways to hide the true cost of service.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is straightforward: mandate clear aggregate pricing on bills and ads, and prohibit specific categories of opaque fees. It is a direct consumer-protection measure with no hidden riders or misdirection.
What the text implies
- Broadband providers may respond by bundling services more aggressively or raising base prices to offset lost fee revenue, shifting the cost structure rather than reducing total consumer bills.
- The FCC will have significant discretion to define 'covered fees' and determine what other fees are 'similar' in purpose, creating potential for regulatory interpretation disputes.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
consumers / households; broadband service providers (reduced customer churn from price transparency)