FCC Proposes $163.9K Fine Against BarrierFree for Reporting Overstated Service Data in Form 477 Filings

The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $163,912 fine, the maximum amount allowed by law, against Internet service provider Barrier Communications Corporation d/b/a BarrierFree for apparently reporting inaccurate information that significantly inflated its broadband subscription numbers, failing to file required deployment data, making false statements to FCC investigators, and failing to respond to other inquiries.

In a revised March 2018 filing, and in Sept 2019 and March 2020 filings, BarrierFree apparently reported having vastly more broadband subscribers than there were housing units in the Suffolk County (NY) census tracts where it reported providing service. The company also apparently failed to submit its March 2019 broadband deployment data Form 477 filing, provide accurate responses to Letters of Inquiry issued by the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau during the course of its investigation, and fully respond to those Letters of Inquiry.