Charter failed to meet broadband buildout requirements, NY regulators say

The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) says Charter Communications failed to meet 2016 merger-related broadband expansion requirements. The PSC ordered Charter to respond to the agency’s finding that “the company should pay $1 million to the State Treasury for missing a December deadline to expand its network to 36,771 additional homes and businesses that did not have high speed broadband as of the date of Charter's acquisition of Time Warner cable." In addition, the PSC is investigating whether Charter violated its franchise agreement in New York City by avoiding fees and missing buildout requirements.

In January 2016, the NY PSC approved Charter’s acquisition of Time Warner Cable on the condition that Charter expand its broadband network to serve an additional 145,000 customers. Charter didn’t meet the conditions by the PSC’s timeline.

"It is critically important that regulated companies strictly adhere to the state's rules and regulations," said NY PSC Chairman John Rhodes. "If a regulated entity like Charter's cable business decides to violate or ignore the rules, we will take swift action and hold [it] accountable to the full extent of the law."

Links:

NY says Charter lied about new broadband, threatens to revoke its franchise (Ars Technica, Mar. 20, 2018)

Order to Show Cause (NY Public Service Commission, Mar. 19, 2018)