Time Warner Cable, you've 'earned your miserable reputation' – NY Attorney General

The New York's Attorney General office is taking Time Warner Cable (TWC) to task for its poor service in the Big Apple.

In an open letter to the recently embiggened US cable giant, enforcement counsel Tim Wu laid into TWC for failing to live up to its promises and provide adequate service.

"In short, what we have seen in our investigation so far suggests that Time Warner Cable has earned the miserable reputation it enjoys among consumers," Wu said.

"Overcoming this history will require more than a name change; it will require a fundamental revolution in how Time Warner Cable does business and treats its customers."

Among the issues with TWC that Wu cites are:

• Failure to deliver the internet speeds customers pay for with their service plans.
• Giving customers outdated or underpowered equipment.
• Poor performance for streaming services such as Netflix, particularly during peak usage hours.

Wu also cites the results of a public poll the AG's office conducted in which New Yorkers were asked to take a speed test and post the results.

"The results we received from Time Warner Cable customers were abysmal," Wu wrote.

"Not only did Time Warner Cable fail to achieve the speeds its customers were promised and paid for (which Time Warner Cable blamed on the testing method), it generally performed worse in this regard than other New York broadband providers."

The letter comes as the New York AG's office prepares to wrap up a probe of TWC and other cable providers it launched late last year amid suspicion that many cable companies were misleading customers by failing to deliver advertised internet speeds.

Wu did not explicitly threaten TWC with action, but did say the AG's office would be getting in touch with the cable company "to propose next steps" in the matter. ®