Internet, cable issues discussed
Published 10:08 am Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Continued issues with internet speed, connectivity and services in Pineville and Bell County were the main issues discussed during Monday’s Pineville City Council meeting.
Carla Deaton, liaison for Spectrum, the internet and cable provider, addressed the council concerning issues the community has been having with their service.
“The cable franchise for the city of Pineville expired in September of last year so we’re asking to have that renewed if at all possible…we do have two different packages,” said Deaton. She was referring to the Time Warner package (which is the older package) and the Spectrum package. Deaton stated that switching from the Time Warner package and adopting the Spectrum package saves the customer money.
There are two main issues, as stated by the council. The first is that customers are not aware that these two package options are available to them. Also, there is an issue with users not getting the service they were promised by the company.
Brian O’Brien of The Big One 106.3 FM WRIL was in attendance, as he is one of the of people affected by the inconsistent internet speed. He stated that Spectrum issued a letter that stated consumers should be getting 100 megabytes of speed, but many in the area are not — despite local technicians visiting homes to deduce the problems.
Deaton requested names and addresses from anybody who is not receiving what is in their package so that the issues could finally be resolved.
“I’ll look into that to see what’s going on,” she said.
Deaton also spoke of a service Spectrum will be providing called the Spectrum Internet Assist Program. People who are on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or a child on free or reduced lunch is able to get a $15 month internet with 30 megabytes of speed.
A tentative meeting is scheduled with Deaton on April 26 at 6 p.m. at the Bell Theater for local officials and the community to attend to further discuss the issues present and work toward a solution.