• The FCC regulates the cable industry.cable connector image by Albert Lozano from Fotolia.com
  
  The advent of cable television's prominent place in homes and businesses across America has increased the need for regulations. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) establishes such regulations in the U.S. and updates them in keeping with the changing nature of the industry. Cable providers, or operators, must abide by these regulations.
  
  

Installation

• The 1992 Cable Act established customer service guidelines for cable providers. For example, the work ordered by a customer must begin within 24 hours and be completed within seven days of the order's placement. The notorious "four hour time block" was also mandated from this act.
  
  Further, if a technician runs behind schedule and cannot meet an appointment, he must contact the customer and reschedule a time convenient for the customer. Ideally, these requirements should be met 95 percent of the time, with quarterly measurements detailing success.
  
  

Rates and Service

• Thirty days advance, written notice must be given to the subscriber regarding any changes to service decided upon by the cable company, such as rates or programming changes. Changes made by federal, state or franchising authorities do not require advanced notice.
  
  Cable providers must ensure that consumer bills clearly indicate all charges, being fully itemized. If complaints about bills arise, these must be addressed with the subscriber within 30 days, offering refunds before the next billing cycle or within 30 days of bill resolution.
  
  

Records

• Cable providers must keep accurate records regarding Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) reports, the location of the provider's "head end," or main signal processor, and a listing of mandated stations it offers in its programming. These files must be kept at the provider's main office where employees interact with their subscribers and conduct business, or at another community location, such as an attorney's office.
  
  Requests made in person for these files must be accommodated, being public information.
  
  

Fairness

• The 1992 Cable Act also required that cable companies offer local television stations. As more consumers opted for cable television, which formerly excluded local television, local stations suffered greatly.