An internet service provider’s decision to cut upload speeds for new customers has drawn criticism from state lawmakers who say the move is poorly timed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Altice, the New York-based provider of Optimum Online broadband service in Connecticut, announced early this year it would impose a “tier adjustment” with lower upload speeds for new customers or users who upgrade, downgrade or change services.
Altice said the new speeds, which take effect July 12, are similar to those of other providers of hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) data service, according to company spokesperson Ashwin Bhandari.
“Our new HFC upload speeds are in-line with other ISPs and aligned with the industry and our advertised upload speeds are capable of handling multiple video calls concurrently,” Bhandari said.
A group of Democratic lawmakers in districts served by Altice said the lower speeds would likely impact use of video-conferencing technology like Zoom, increasingly in use for educational, health and business meetings.
“Altice’s decision to reduce the upload speeds of its internet service plans is one directly harmful to many customers,” said state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) in a statement issued by state senate Democrats. Multiple internet users in one household at the same time could use up all available bandwidth and force a family to upgrade to a more expensive plan, he said.
“At a time when internet access is critical for families, students, professionals, businesses and even healthcare, Altice’s decision to reduce speed, rather than upgrade it, is not a good move,” said Rep. David Arconti (D-Danbury).
Altice defended the speed reductions, citing its investments in improving its network and recent rollout of a 100% fiber network.
“We have a variety of options and plans available for all our customers to meet their needs, and additionally, none of the plans Optimum offers include a data cap,” Bhandari said. “Again, existing customers will not be affected unless they upgrade, downgrade, or change HFC services and we continue to offer many different promotions to new and existing customers.”
