Internet modems and TV broadbands are among the devices that would not charge rental fees anymore after the Television Viewer Protection Act (TVPA) ended with its six months of extension for leeway. The US Congress law has taken into consideration that people were paying for rental or ownership fees on the devices used to connect to the internet or cable TV.

The good news for all internet and TV broadband cable users is that the leeway has now ended its extension that gave the Internet Service Providers (ISP) more than a year to prepare for the new law. This act would certainly take a huge chunk of users' monthly fees and the profits of the ISPs. 

FCC's TVPA Leeway Extension Ends

According to Gizmodo, the law was approved in 2019 by the US Congress and POTUS Donald Trump, with its effect slated several months ago, in June. However, the US Congress has given authority to the FCC to grant an extension for the ISPs and TV Providers because of the massive and drastic effect brought by the pandemic. 

COVID-19 surely has taken a toll on all industries globally, including the internet and TV services, particularly on maintaining servers, offices, and services because of the restrictions and lockdown protocols. Despite the initial thought of COVID-19 being better as people turn to these services for work and entertainment purposes, the pandemic made the deadline challenging, hence the extension. 

The country's internet and TV services are mostly bundled into one package, providing different services and needs of people in terms of connections to the outside world. These packages have been showing different unfair additional fees, including rental or ownership fees which are now non-existent. 

The Television Viewer Protection Act's provision has begun its rental-free law and took effect on Sunday, December 20. 

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TVPA Rental Free: Goodbye Absurd and Unfair Rental Fees

According to Ars Technica, this law would take a massive toll on Frontier Communications who were notorious for charging a $10 rental fee despite users already owning a modem device for their household or offices. The company's policies have been a significant consideration for this law to be created and passed through the House of Representatives.

These were called "bogus charges" which speak for the name itself, with unreasonable and unfair charges even for those who already have their devices for internet or television. Frontier Communications has agreed to comply with the law taking effect in December's extension, but also noted that it would not repair or service non-company issued internet or TV devices. 

Most internet and broadband packages are leased to users as they are installed with the service a company provides. It comes with warranties and deals which these companies would service once it goes faulty or malfunction in the time of the clause. The Television Viewer Protection Act still keeps the same services for any connection problems, minus the bogus charges and rental fees. 

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Written by Isaiah Alonzo

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