Letter to Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission - Rep. McNerney Demands Transparency for Consumers' Internet and Phone Service Complaints

Letter

Dear Chairman Pai:

I am writing to follow up on my request from last month's Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) oversight hearing that you make publicly available all consumer complaints the FCC has
received regarding internet and phone service during the COVID-19 pandemic.1 While your
agency has made available a summary of the complaints on its website, the information that has
been shared is incomplete. The American people deserve to know the specific problems that are
arising, whether the problems are being resolved, and how long it is taking to resolve them.
Unfortunately, none of this information is publicly posted on your agency's website.
It is concerning that more than seven months into the pandemic you have still not been fully
upfront with the public about the problems that consumers have been facing. During an Energy
and Commerce Committee teleconference in mid-May, I asked you about the number of
complaints the FCC had received regarding communications providers not honoring
commitments made under the Keep Americans Connected Pledge or other COVID-related
commitments.

It was not until then that you or your agency publicly disclosed the number of
complaints that had been received. Furthermore, it was not until documents from a Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) request were shared by a journalist that the public was made aware
about the nature of the complaints.

It should not take a congressional inquiry and a FOIA
request to uncover these problems, especially during a pandemic.

At a time when nearly every aspect of our lives depends on connectivity, transparency and
accountability with respect to connectivity problems are critical. Please 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 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.
Thank you for your attention in this important matter.

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