Howell Mayor Demands ‘Full Investigation’ into Optimum Service

HOWELL, NJ - On the heels of a Board of Public Utilities investigation into Altice (Optimum) cable and internet service in Howell Township, the mayor has released a video statement expressing her own struggles with the service, as well as a public demand for the provider to provide better service to residents.

“15,000 households don't have the opportunity to choose their internet provider due to current state regulations allowing monopoly to happen,” Howell Mayor Theresa Berger said in a video statement posted to social media. “We are stuck with Altice, or as we know it, Optimum.”

While work-from-home mandates and online learning have exacerbated the internet issues in the township, Howell and surrounding areas such as Jackson and Toms River have faced years of difficulties, including slow internet speeds and inaccessible customer service.

One teacher from Howell shared her experience with Patch, noting that over 80 students have been impacted as a result of poor internet service in the township.

The middle school educator also stated that a representative from Optimum indicated that her section of Howell was "flagged a hot spot for COVID-19" over the summer and thus could not dispatch a technician or provide an estimate of when a technician would be able to service the problem.

"My family and I have gone days without our landline phone, TV, and most importantly, a dependable internet connection to keep us in communication with our jobs, teachers, and family," the teacher said.

“These services are essential for the residents of New Jersey," said BPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso at a BPU public hearing earlier this month. "The board is very concerned about the level of performance by Altice."

According to the Asbury Park Press, Altce has since accelerated planned 2020 investments by spending more than $28 million (a total that is expected to double in size this year).

“I am tired of my cable going out for hours or days,” Berger said. “I am so tired of hearing my kids argue because they're getting kicked off of their classes because the bandwidth is not wide enough.”

While Optimum did previously host a customer complaint form online, it too experienced its own service issues, according to Berger. Instead, the Howell municipal IT department and Councilman John Bonevich joined forces to create a form on the municipal website to collect complaints. In two weeks, over 700 complaints were logged from residents.

“At this point, I expect a full investigation of optimum including an independent audit and tech review. This needs to be done and optimum needs to make immediate upgrades to the cable and the infrastructure in the town,” Mayor Berger said. “If they refuse to make these upgrades, Howell should be able, the residents should be able, to sign on with another internet provider that they like and that treats them better. I believe that Optimum/Altice is responsible for all expenses regarding these upgrades. They should not trickle down to the people in the towns.”

“Our services are horrible, our prices [have] increased. It’s unacceptable, it’s unreasonable, and we deserve better from Altice/Optimum and the state.”