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In this press statement, Public Service Commission regulators said on Friday, July 27 that Spectrum -- the largest cable provider in New York -- failed to comply with several conditions mandated when the state approved Charter's merger with Time Warner Cable, Inc. in 2016.
According to the state PSC, various instances of misconduct include:
- Repeated failures to meet deadlines;
- Charter’s attempts to skirt obligations to serve rural communities;
- Unsafe practices in the field;
- Its failure to fully commit to its obligations under the 2016 merger agreement; and
- The company’s purposeful obfuscation of its performance and compliance obligations to the state Commission and its customers.
These recurring failures led the commission to the broader conclusion that the company was not interested in being a good corporate citizen and that the Commission could no longer in good faith and conscience allow it to operate in New York. Friday’s actions are meant to address Charter’s failings and to ensure New York has a partner interested in the public good, not just lining its pockets.
“Charter's repeated failures to serve New Yorkers and honor its commitments are well documented and are only getting worse. After more than a year of administrative enforcement efforts to bring Charter into compliance with the Commission’s merger order, the time has come for stronger actions to protect New Yorkers and the public interest,” said Commission Chair John B. Rhodes. “Charter’s non-compliance and brazenly disrespectful behavior toward New York State and its customers necessitate the actions taken today seeking court-ordered penalties for its failures, and revoking the Charter merger approval.”
On Jan. 8, 2016, the Commission approved Charter’s acquisition of Time Warner. To obtain approval, Charter agreed to a number of conditions required by the Commission to advance the public interest, including delivering broadband speed upgrades to 100 Mbps statewide by the end of 2018, and 300 Mbps by the end of 2019, and building out its network to pass an additional 145,000 un-served or under-served homes and businesses in the State's less densely populated areas within four years of the closing of the transaction.
The PSC decision may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov.
Charter's headquarters is in Stamford.
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