Attorneys for the townships of Robbinsville and Hamilton have filed dual letters to Lawanda Gilbert, director of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Office of Cable Television and Telecommunications, in response to residents’ complaints regarding poor service and consumer pricing by Optimum/Altice USA that predate the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letters detail 11 examples from the hundreds of complaints received by both municipal offices over the past several months citing poor customer service, unstable or insufficient internet connections and allegations of price-gouging.
“It is the duty of Optimum (Altice USA) as a utility to furnish safe, adequate and proper service for its customers … and they have failed in that duty,” Robbinsville Township Mayor Dave Fried said. “We should not have to continuously pressure this provider to do its job. Since being assigned to Marilyn Davis, Director of Government Affairs, on April 15, 2020 with the promise of improved communications and timely issue resolution, our Township offices have been inundated with unanswered complaints. With school about to begin in our area, it is more important than ever that our hard-working families, many of which are under enormous strain, stay connected at prices commensurate with the quality of service.”
Hamilton Township Mayor Jeff Martin also has received a flood of complaints regarding Optimum/Altice USA (formerly Cablevision) and requests BPU director Gilbert immediately commence an investigation into the services being provided to both Robbinsville and Hamilton pursuant to powers vested in the board.
“Having reliable cable and internet service has never been more of a necessity than this year has proved it to be,” Martin said. “Both municipalities’ residents have experienced similar, unacceptable issues and a lack of timely remediation from Optimum. Mayor Fried and I will fight for our residents by partnering together on this issue and hope that by doing so it will provide for a stronger likelihood of these concerns being taken seriously by the state. “
