Spectrum-Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications are in heaps of trouble after the state of New York filed a lawsuit against the companies for poor internet connection and speed.
The State of New York through Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman claims that the internet service provider has continuously "ripped off" the state along with its 5 million inhabitants who have acquired and depended on the service. The lawsuit was filed in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan last Feb. 1.
Schneiderman also released a statement announcing the state's action. The statement also divulged that the second-largest internet provider in the United States has deliberately failed to push through on its promise to provide the state with reliable and fast internet connection over a five-year period.
The lawsuit describes how the premium plans of Spectrum-Time Warner Cable, a subsidiary of Charter Communications Inc., were slower by up to 70 percent than the promised internet speed. These plans included the 100, 200 and 300 Mbps plans which charged as high as $109.99 each month. WiFi subscribers had it worse with some reports saying their internet speed was up to 80 percent slower.
Spectrum is actually the new name of Time Warner Cable or TWC. The change in name came with its $65 million acquisition by Charter Communications. The former cable TV company was a separate and independent company from its former parent company Time Warner.
Gizmodo noted that Spectrum has supposedly been defrauding New Yorkers since 2012 using a "systematic scheme". The company also allegedly supplied its customers with over 900,000 older generation routers and modems. The lawsuit claimed that Spectrum was well aware that the said devices were "incapable of achieving the promised internet speeds".
Charter has also released a statement saying the issues revolving around TWC occurred prior to the merger and that since then, the company has made sure that they provided the internet connection that New York deserves.
