Trending
BUCKHANNON - Area residents submitted a variety of concerns to the City of Buckhannon regarding Suddenlink Altice service prior to a convening of the city's Television Cable Board.
Mayor Robbie Skinner summarized comments received via mal, phone call and email.
"Essentially, the gist is that our current cable and Internet provider is, by the estimation of folks in our community, not pulling their weight," he said. "We have several comments here that service interruptions happen very frequently on both cable and internet. We also have a service issue when it comes time for folks to receive service at their home, the time frame in which a technician is coming to their home is taking quite a while.
"Also, there are a few comments in here that folks were told to be home during certain hours, technicians did not show up during those time frames to correct their issues."
Skinner said that since COVID-19 began in March, the Suddenlink office on Fifth Street had not bee in operation.
"We were at first led to believe that the office was not going to go reopen...that this was a closure of the office," he said.
However, Erin Jones, director of government affairs with Suddenlink Altice, communicated that the office is only closed temporarily and plans to reopen after the pandemic eases up.
"Folks depend on that office being open to pay their bills," he said. "It's nice to have a local presence of the company here in town."
Skinner also said some concerns had been received about local technicians being out of work and Suddenlink using contract employees.
He noted that the pandemic had also led many to work from home.
"I think it's important to note that a lot of folks have been transferred to working from home and service interruptions can provide for loss of revenue potentially and also could drain productivity," he said.
Skinner said the City of Buckhannon's current franchise renewal expires June 30, 2023.
He added that this is separate from the Upshur County Commission who has a franchise renewal up in October. A public hearing for the county's renewal is scheduled for Oct. 29.
The City of Buckhannon is just beginning the process of looking at the franchise renewal.
City attorney Tom O'Neill discussed some particulars as they pertain to state and federal law. "The reason we have a franchise is that the federal law establishes that in order for the cable system to be able to use public rights of way we have to have a franchise agreement," he said. "In return, the franchising authority, in this case the City of Buckhannon, is entitled to receive 5%. Five percent of your cable bill for anyone living in city's franchise helps pay for things likes SYCC, police department, fire department, and so on."
O'Neill also stated Suddenlink does not have a monopoly on cable service.
"The city can grant franchises to other entities," he said. "We have just not had another one come and seek franchise."
There is an informal process and a formal process to renew a franchise and O'Neill said he wouldn't recommend the formal hearing at this time unless the board felt a renewal was in jeopardy.
He reminded the board members that there are two options when the time comes - to renew the franchise or decline the renewal.
And while the city's franchise with Suddenlink Altice does not prevent another cable operator from operating in the city, there has not been interest expressed by one.
"If the board doesn't want to renew the franchise, there has to be some entity willing to take the place of Suddenlink," he said.
Board member Tim Smith said he had already read through some of the complaints received and recounted his own experiences with Suddenlink since 2006.
"I understand some of the comments and letters we have gotten," he said. "They are sometimes a pain."
He asked if the City of Buckhannon could negotiate with cost of services, but O'Neill said the federal government does not allow it at this time.
Should that change in the future, wording in the current franchise renewal would allow the City of Buckhannon to negotiate.
Skinner said he streams TV and does not use Suddenlink.
"There is competition," he said. "It's just not in the form of cable. It's in the form of stream serving. There are options. IT's just not the traditional cable hook-up that folks are typically used to. I feel for the folks in our community who are dealing with a lot of service interruptions."
Duane Squires, joining by phone for his first meeting since being appointed to the board, said he had been a Suddenlink customer for a long time.
"I have the 100 mg service with unlimited usage," he said. "I'm one of the lucky ones. I have not had any problems with either TV or internet. My son lived on Smithfield Street and did have problems."
Squires asked if these concerns from residents had been shared with Suddenlink and O'Neill answered that they would be.
"We wanted to get through this meeting first," he said. "I think the next step would be to reach out to Ms. Jones to begin that conversation."
Local resident Dr. Timothy Reese, who also joined the meeting by phone, asked if the city had inquired if other cable systems were interested in the Buckhannon market.
Skinner said the city would be talking with surrounding counties about their services and Lewis County had already provided some information.
"Tonight is not the night in which we are making any decision," he said.
However, the mayor encouraged the public to continue to send comments to buckhannon@buckhannonwv.org; by mail to Buckhannon City Hall, 70 E. Main St., Buckhannon, WV 26201; or by calling 304-472-1651.