Dateline: 01/07/98

It's the rumor of the moment – an email message alerting all Internet users to "a very important matter currently under review by the FCC." According to the message, the Federal Communications Commission will soon make a ruling as to whether or not to allow phone companies to impose "per-minute" charges on ISPs for Internet access.

Users are warned that the phone companies "are trying to sneak it in just under the wire for litigation," and are urged to send comments to a special email address before February 13, 1998, the purported deadline for public input.

Don't believe a word of it.

The FCC was considering the question of per-minute access charges – among other proposals – early last year. It accepted public comments through February 14, 1997, then issued a set of rulings in May. The per-minute proposal was officially rejected at that time.

I repeat: the proposal has already been rejected.

For pertinent information, see the FCC's ISP Fact Sheet.

Here's the false alert currently circulating:

In response to the alert's pointless exhumation, the FCC issued the following statement on January 7, 1998:

In December 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requested public comment on issues relating to the charges that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and similar companies pay to local telephone companies. On May 7, 1997, the FCC decided to leave the existing rate structure in place. In other words, the FCC decided not to allow local telephone companies to impose per-minute access charged on ISPs.

Please Note: There is no open comment period in this proceeding. If you have recently seen a message on the Internet stating that in response to a request from local telephone companies, the FCC is requesting comments to by February 1998, be aware that this information is inaccurate.

(ISP Fact Sheet - 01/07/98)

One last point. Ironically, although per-minute charges were rejected, other changes wrought by last May's FCC rulings will indeed result in higher access charges for many users this year. For more information, see The Home Office Just Got More Expensive by MSNBC's Peter Barnes.

To find out more about FCC proposals and rulings and how they may affect your access costs in the future, visit the FCC Website.

And Matt Broersma's article for ZDNet, Old Rumor, New Furor, covers the errant warning we've discussed here and its possible confusion with other FCC proceedings.

Update:

• FCC Denies 'Modem Tax' Plans... Again
  11/07/98 - As rumors run rampant again, FCC chairman denies that a pending ruling will affect user fees

Current Net Hoaxes

Previous Features

Discuss in my forum