Rep. McNerney Demands Transparency for Consumers’ Internet and Phone Service Complaints

Rep Jerry McNerney (D-CA-09) sent Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai a letter following up on the Congressman’s request that the Chairman make publicly available all consumer complaints that the agency has received regarding internet and phone service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep McNerney asked Chairman Pai for a commitment to do this when the Chairman testified on September 17, 2020 at the House Commerce Committee’s FCC oversight hearing. In response, on October 23, 2020, the FCC posted general information on its website, but did not include any specific information about the complaints and if or how they were resolved. Rep. McNerney requested that the Chairman make the following information publicly available by November 13, 2020:

1. For each individual consumer complaint received by the FCC relating to internet or phone service during the pandemic, the text of the complaint (properly de-identified to protect the individual’s privacy), whether the complaint was resolved, and how long it took to resolve the complaint;
2. The number of complaints identified above in (1) that were referred to the Enforcement Bureau or other bureaus in the agency and what further action was taken with respect to each referred complaint; and
3. With respect to the Keep Americans Connected Pledge, the number of instances in which the provider did not keep the promises it made under the Pledge.