FCC Label Mandate, Charter’s New Executive VP, Robocalls in September

October 10, 2023 – The Federal Communications Commission announced Tuesday the deadlines for internet service providers to label the typical speeds and additional charges customers can expect at the time of sale.

The majority of providers will be required to deploy the label by April 10, 2024. Providers with 100,000 or fewer subscriber lines must deploy the label by October 10, 2024.

The FCC has as a requirement that broadband providers display at a point of sale clear and easy-to-understand information regarding the cost and performance of broadband services. The points of sale are inclusive of online and in-store shopping.

The commission adopted the Broadband Label Order in 2022 as required by the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act.

This established new rules that required broadband internet service providers “to display labels at the point of sale that disclose important information about broadband prices, introductory rates, data allowances, and broadband speeds, and to include links to information about network management practices, privacy policies, and the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program,” according to a release.

“This is a big win for consumers, who need clear and transparent information when making decisions about what internet service makes the most sense for their households.  Consumers will finally get information they can use to comparison shop, avoid junk fees, and make informed choices about which high-speed internet service is the best fit for their needs and budget,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

Jamal Haughton named Charter’s executive vice president

Charter Communications announced Tuesday that Jamal Haughton has been named as the company’s next executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary.

Effective November 6, Haughton will be serving as the head of the company’s legal department and oversee “all legal functions across a broad range of disciplines including corporate, commercial, transactional, litigation, product, and programming, as well as regulatory legal matters,” according to a press release.

He is succeeding Rick Dykhouse, who announced his intent to retire earlier this year. Dykhouse, who spent the last 17 years with Charter, will be supporting Haughton’s transition and remain as executive counsel to President and CEO Chris Winfrey.

Haughton is joining Charter Communications from MSG Entertainment, where he has served as their executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.

“Jamal is a proven leader who brings extensive experience managing high-profile corporate legal matters, as well as invaluable industry perspective. As our industry, network, and technologies continue to evolve, and the legal intricacies of our business grow increasingly more complicated, we are fortunate to have Jamal joining us in this key leadership role,” Winfrey said in a press release.

Haughton’s legal career began at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, spending seven years in the firm’s corporate practice. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Americans received nearly 4.3 billion robocalls in September

Americans received nearly 4.3 billion robocalls in September, according to a report released Friday, a 15.7 percent decrease from a near 5.1 billion made in August.

September contained an average of 142.4 million robocalls per day and 1,648 robocalls per second, which was down 13.1 percent from August’s average of 163.8 million robocalls per day and 1,896 robocalls per second, according to YouMail.

This means that there was a 15.7 percent decrease in robocalls from August’s numbers and the lowest monthly proportion since December of 2022.

“September’s big drop is a pleasant surprise, and in large part it appears to be due to a large drop in calls from telemarketers,” said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. “This is a welcome development, but it remains to be seen whether this drop in robocalls is just a blip or will continue over the next few months.”

YouMail is a free call protection service and robocall blocking app for mobile phone consumers. The company said the numbers were proven to be conclusive through YouMail’s extrapolation of the robocall traffic that attempted to get through their millions of active users.