Charter is ending its petition to get government approval for imposing broadband data limits on customers.
Charter is somewhat unique in that it must get government approval before imposing data limits. While other internet service providers (ISPs) are free to do what the market will bear, Charter’s restrictions were imposed as terms of its purchase of Time Warner Cable.
The company submitted its request in June 2020. The following month, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requested public comment on Charter’s request. Since then, no forward progress has been made.
In a very brief filing, Charter has withdrawn its request.
Charter Communications, Inc. respectfully withdraws its petition in the above-referenced proceeding.
While no reason was given, a likely motivation is the incoming Biden/Harris administration and, with it, a Democratic-controlled FCC. As a result, it’s likely Charter would have faced significant pushback in any efforts to impose data caps, especially during a pandemic when internet connectivity is more important than ever.