JACKSON – After failing to receive a response to its initial complaint, municipal officials in Jackson have filed a second complaint with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) regarding the service being provided to residents who are customers of Altice/Optimum.
The township’s initial complaint was filed on Oct. 12.
On Nov. 24, the Township Council filed a second complaint titled “Request for Investigation (of) Internet, Telephone and Cable Television Service provided by Optimum/Altice USA.”
The second complaint was sent directly to BPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. Municipal officials informed Fiordaliso they had not received a response to their initial complaint.
The concerns regard what Jackson officials have said is inferior cable television and internet service being provided to customers in Jackson by Optimum/Altice USA under its current franchise issued by the BPU.
The council members said residents “continue to suffer from inferior cable and internet access during a public health emergency, requiring many of our residents, and nearly all of our students, to work and attend school in a virtual format.
“The repeated failure of Optimum/Altice to provide adequate, safe and proper service now affects the ability of our residents to make a living and the ability of our children to obtain an education during these most difficult times. In short, a difficult situation has become unbearable for our residents,” municipal officials said.
In their communication to the BPU president, the Jackson council members told Fiordaliso they “cannot stress enough the feeling of despair and anxiety which grips our residents when their children cannot properly attend their classes online, or when our residents’ employers wonder where their employees are and how are they working remotely when they have inadequate internet access.”
On Nov. 25, council President Alexander Sauickie told the Tri-Town News the second complaint “was inspired by the fact we received no response (to the initial complaint) … and from some (people) there is an impression that the service provided by Altice has actually gotten worse since we filed the initial complaint. We want residents to know … we will continue to fight to get this service where it needs to be.”
