NY attorney general sues Charter over internet speed, performance allegations

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has sued Charter Communications Inc. and its subsidiary, Spectrum Management Holdings, for allegedly misleading customers by promising internet service speeds and reliability the company knew it could not deliver.

According to an investigation by Schneiderman”™s office, New York customers of the nation”™s second-largest internet service provider have been “dramatically short-changed” on both internet speed and reliability promises since January 2012. The investigation included a review of internal corporate communications and hundreds of thousands of subscriber speed tests.

In its filing today, the Attorney General”™s Office seeks restitution for New York consumers who were affected. The suit also aims to end  the company”™s “longstanding deceptive practices.”
“The allegations in today”™s lawsuit confirm what millions of New Yorkers have long suspected ”“ Spectrum-Time Warner Cable has been ripping you off,” Schneiderman said in a press release. “Today”™s action seeks to bring much-needed relief to the millions of New Yorkers we allege have been getting cheated by Spectrum-Time Warner Cable for far too long. Even now, Spectrum-Time Warner Cable continues to offer Internet speeds that we found they cannot reliably deliver.”

Stamford-based Charter acquired Time Warner Cable in May for $60 billion. The company, now known as Spectrum, currently has around 2.5 million subscribers across New York state.