CHARLESTON, W. Va.—After a multi-year investigation, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has reached a $119.5 million settlement with Altice USA to resolve thousands of consumer complaints about the company’s quality of service in the state.
The company entered into an "Assurance of Voluntary Compliance" with the state on Friday, Jan. 10 without admitting that any of its prior practices violated West Virginia’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
The Attorney General’s Office has been investigating Altice—which operates through several subsidiaries in West Virginia under the former Suddenlink and current Optimum brands—since 2021. The complaints were related to its internet services sold to West Virginia consumers and involves customer care issues including billing and technician visits among many others.
The Attorney General’s Office received more than 2,300 complaints about a variety of issues from consumers from 2020 to 2023.
Much of the monetary costs detailed by the AG in settlement involves investments that Altice has made ($75 million in past investments) or has promised to make ($40 million in future investments) to improve its network.
“This is years in the making and a big win for the consumers in West Virginia,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “My office worked tirelessly to resolve this to ensure consumers in the state receive the service from providers they deserve.”
Separately, in 2022, the Public Service Commission in West Virginia slapped Suddelink Communications with a $2.2 million fine, finding that it ignored thousands of customer complaints, reduced the number of full-time employees, intentionally reduced its maintenance work and budget, and changed its method of communicating with customers.
The AG’s office reported that since it initiated its investigation, Altice has or will agree to invest a total of $119.5 million to West Virginia to resolve the AG’s investigation without litigation: The settlement includes these features:
- $75 million in investments in the state since 2021
- $40 million in investments for 2025-2027
- $4 million in consumer credits
- $500,000 payment to the state
- AG’s settlement comes on top of PSC fine of $2.2 million in 2022.
- Altice’s investments will improve the Internet infrastructure allowing residential customers in its entire service area to receive Internet speeds of up to 1 Gig download/100 Mbps upload.
- Altice will complete the infrastructure upgrades and build out by the end of December 2027.
- If Altice does not complete the upgrade project by the end of December 2027, it faces fines up to an additional $40 million.
- The company entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the state on Friday without admitting that any of its prior practices violated West Virginia’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
The settlement includes the company’s capital investment in the state to address the AG’s Office’s concerns; build and upgrade their infrastructure in numerous counties.
Current residential customers who fall into the categories listed in the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance will receive credits on their accounts in the amount of $25 each, totaling about $4 million. Former customers can submit a claim that will be evaluated for eligibility for a cash refund.
Optimum agrees to build out its current hybrid coaxial/fiber internet system to allow all its residential customers to obtain 1 Gig download speeds with 100 Mbps upload speeds. The company expects to spend about $40 million on the upgrades and will have the projects completed by the end of December 2027.
A copy of the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance is available here.
