New York probes broadband speeds

The New York attorney general’s office has opened a probe into whether Cablevision Systems Corp.CVC -0.11 % , Verizon Communications Inc.VZ 0.37 % and Time Warner Cable Inc.TWC 0.15 % are providing consumers with the Internet speeds they advertise.

Letters went out last week to executives at Time Warner Verizon and Cablevision with requests for documents proving their broadband speeds are as fast as advertised. TWC acknowledged the investigation saying that it’s confident customers are receiving the speeds they pay for and that it’s “look[ing] forward to working with the AG to resolve this matter”, while Cablevision says its Optimum Online service “consistently surpasses advertised broadband speeds”.

In separate letters to all three providers, the attorney general’s office expressed concern that people aren’t getting the broadband speeds that companies are promising for reasons within the operators’ control.

Wu says his is “specifically concerned about the disruptions to the consumer experience caused by interconnection disputes”. “But, it turns out, many of us may be paying for one thing, and getting another”, Schneiderman said in a statement provided to Reuters.

Schneiderman said: “New Yorkers deserve the internet speeds they pay for”.

Wu asked the companies to respond to several questions about their policies by November 8.

According to Schneiderman’s spokesperson, the agency had data which indicates that speeds were “far slower” than what was promised. The probe is to investigate if these companies actually offer as much broadband speeds as they claim. Studies have found that internet users in New York can be charged up to 10 times more for the same high-speed internet as residents of Hong Kong, Paris, and Tokyo. We are happy to provide any necessary performance information to the Attorney General as we do to our customers.

For example, Verizon tells customers that one of its service options is “great for 8 devices ” and allows users to “upload large files to the cloud, perform quicker back-ups and play competitive multi-player gaming”.