A SUBSIDIARY OF OZARKS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Broadband Labels

Knowledge Is Power

Find the best internet service for your needs with new broadband labels. Easily compare speeds, prices and terms across providers.

Ready to see ours? Go to our Internet page and click the "Broadband Label" button available on each tier. The labels are also integrated into our online signup system, so you can review them while selecting your services.

Keep reading below for information on understanding broadband labels and how they help consumers.

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Broadband Labels
Broadband Labels

Understanding Broadband Labels

Beginning this year, you’ll start to see a new, rather official-looking label on some marketing materials, advertising and websites for broadband internet services. Given the importance of high-speed broadband internet to our economy and everyday lives, the government now requires a new consumer-friendly broadband service facts and information label to appear on certain internet service marketing materials.

Watch the video below or keep reading for answers to common questions and more information about these “broadband facts nutrition labels” that you will soon begin to see, including on OzarksGo’s website, social media and other materials highlighting our high-speed fiber internet services!

Broadband Label FAQs

What exactly is the new broadband facts “nutrition” label?

The new broadband facts nutrition label is an easy-to-read statement of basic information about available internet services that the Federal Communications Commission recently mandated when broadband (high-speed) internet service providers advertise the sale of their services.

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What is the purpose of the broadband facts labels?

The government requires labels for many kinds of goods and services including food ingredients, nutritional facts and over-the-counter medication. The new broadband facts label provides essential information to help consumers compare competing internet service offerings before choosing a company to provide internet service.

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What information will be displayed on the new labels?

The labels contain the most pertinent information about internet service, which customers need to make informed choices regarding their broadband options. You’ll easily see distinctions between various services and plans, such as the price of monthly services, fees and internet speeds offered by companies.

Specifically, the Broadband Facts label includes the following detailed information: The company name of the broadband internet service provider.

  • Price per month.
  • Whether the price is an introductory rate, and if so, the duration of that rate and what the new rate will be when the introductory rate expires.
  • Whether the monthly price requires a contract, and if any, what the terms and duration of the contract are.
  • Additional monthly fees and costs, and if any, an itemized list of each cost (e.g., required equipment rentals).
  • Any one-time fees at the initiation of service, if any (e.g., installation fees, administrative fees, etc.).
  • Any early cancellation fees.
  • Taxes, if any (which will depend on local and state laws).
  • Any discounts, including bundled service discounts (i.e., whether combining contracts for other company services like landline telephone service lowers the monthly costs of broadband service).
  • Typical download and upload speeds and latency.
  • Data information, including whether there’s any data cap and the price for any additional data exceeding that cap.
  • Links to network management (e.g., content blocking), company privacy policies, and customer support contact information.
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What broadband-specific terms on the labels do I need to understand?

Most of the terms on the label can be easily understood, but some more techy-sounding terms might need some explanation. These include:

  • Typical Download Speed: represents the generally expected speed that internet data and information are downloaded from the internet into your home or office’s internet connection (the speeds for browsing the internet, streaming music/movies, etc.).
  • Typical Upload Speed: represents the generally expected speed that internet data and information are uploaded from your home or office’s internet connection and sent back through the internet to others (the speeds for conducting a live stream, uploading photos/videos, etc.); and
  • Typical Latency: represents the generally expected amount of time for internet data and information to transfer from one designated point to another (especially important for online gaming).
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How will the information be presented—and why does that matter to me?

The information must be standardized and uniform. That means that nearly all labels will be structured similarity to make it easier for consumers to compare services and pricing from different companies directly.

The labels are particularly valuable to customers who have recently moved into a new area (and with internet service providers they may not have heard of before). For consumers considering an upgrade to better internet, the labels help make the benefits of improved, faster broadband—like fiber internet—even more obvious.

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