Cable Company Sends Hopeful Internet Coverage Message

October 21, 2020 by Diane Ryder

Windstream representatives told Auburn Township Trustees Oct.19 they would like to provide more cable and internet service to underserved portions of the township, but franchise agreements dating back to the mid 1980s prevent them from coming into some neighborhoods, particularly those on the east side of the community.

“Trustee John Eberly called and invited us to this meeting,” said Doug Nelisse, Windstream director of field operations for Ohio, during the Oct. 19 trustees meeting. “We know there is a big concern here about service intervals.”

For years, trustees have been bombarded with complaints about inadequate or intermittent internet service, particularly in rural areas that are served by Suddenlink.

“Suddenlink was the old Star Cable, in about six incarnations since the 1980s,” Trustee P.J. Cavanagh said.

The New York-based company serves rural areas in Auburn, Newbury and Troy townships.

Cavanagh said the township receives complaints from Suddenlink customers about inadequate band width, service that is frequently interrupted and repairs that can take several weeks.

The complaints have sharply increased this year, as COVID-19 has forced residents to work remotely from home, students to take their classes online and many to rely on cable TV for much of their entertainment.

Nelisse, a Bainbridge native, showed trustees a map of the township, pointing out his company’s service area, which is primarily in the more dense neighborhoods in the west of the community, adjoining Bainbridge.

Nelisse said Windstream has invested a large amount of capital in fiber optic lines and continues to expand in the area. The company’s new program, Kinetic, provides expanded internet service up to 5 gigabytes.

Currently, Windstream serves areas around Taylor May, Bartholomew, Quinn, Thorpe and Crackel roads, and the community of Taborville.

Cavanagh said the service areas are based roughly on the old landline telephone exchanges, with 834 being served by Suddenlink and the other two — 708 and 543 — being in Windstream’s territory.

“When are you going to come out to (state Route) 44 going north?” asked resident Jason Wein. “We have Suddenlink and it’s awful. Our kids can’t get online for school. We’re desperate.”

Wein said he owns a business along Route 44 and his cable service is so poor, he can’t run his credit card machine.

“We just turned on 2,400 new households in Bainbridge,” Windstream consultant Debbie Neri told the trustees. “Our goal is 60,000 new customers on our fiber and we have 47,000 year-to-date right now. I feel for you, but we are regulated companies.”

Neri explained Windstream can only go into areas that do not have an exclusive contract with another cable company.

“I hope that will change,” she said.

Neri said the new cable lines and new technology can deliver much more service to customers, allowing for multiple devices to be connected simultaneously, the ability to stream entertainment without “buffering” interruptions and more reliable service.

“Can you expand into other areas?” Cavanagh asked.

Nelisse said it is possible for a company to get a franchise agreement to go into another company’s territory, but it would be expensive and companies are reluctant to raid another company’s customers because it could happen to them, as well.

Neri said Windstream is constantly expanding and looking for new customers, and recommended anyone who is unhappy with their current cable and internet service should contact her company.

“They can go to our website and put in their address to be added to our watch list for Project Lunar,” Neri said, adding the more people in an area who request service, the more likely the company will expand there.

“People are crying out for better internet service,” Cavanagh said.

“A lot of people are having problems and are willing to pay a premium to get it,” Trustee Mike Troyan added.

Cavanagh said lack of reliable internet service has always been an issue in their area, but is even more so now due to COVID-19.

“The need has exploded,” Troyan agreed.

Neri said she would give Township Administrative Assistant Nancy Dolezal contact information for the company for residents calling in with concerns about internet service. Windstream’s web address is www.windstream.com.

Neri said to go to the section marked “Stay in the Know” and complete the form with name, address and contact information to sign up for alerts.

“It will ask if our service is available in your area,” she explained. “You will find out if there are any jobs in progress to provide faster speed. We want to serve them all. Trust us.”

The Windstream customer service phone number is 800-347-1991.