The FCC's New Labels Show You What's Actually In Your Broadband Bill

Reading the nutrition facts on food labels can sometimes save your waistline. Now, a similar type of label could save your wallet.

The Federal Communications Commission is piggy-backing off the U.S. food industry in a push to explain exactly what you’re paying for when you sign up for a broadband service.

Rather than listing the calorie count, total fat and cholesterol, the broadband labels list information such as monthly fee, speed and data usage.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said, "These labels provide consumers clarity about the broadband service they are purchasing, not only helping them to make more informed choices but also preventing surprises when the first bill arrives."

And those surprises are frequent. The FCC reports it gets more than 2,000 complaints about unexpected fees each year. 

These new labels aren't required but are recommended. Internet service providers already have to abide by a set of net neutrality rules requiring transparency, so there’s a good chance these labels could become common practice. 

This video includes images from Getty Images.