Windstream President and CEO Tony Thomas has responded to a letter from three Georgia Congressmen regarding his company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic
In a letter sent to Thomas on April 10, Representatives Doug Collins, Austin Scott, and Sanford Bishop said they’re experiencing the connectivity issues their constituents have complained about for years.
“Even though we have been calling for increased internet access in rural areas for years, this moment in time shows that Windstream has yet to meet the mark,” the congressmen wrote. “Now, as we move to hosting meetings virtually, we are experiencing the connection issues our constituents are having firsthand.”
In his response dated April 15, Thomas countered the congressmen’s claims that increased usage by those working and studying from home has impaired service. “Significant capital investment in our entire network has resulted in strong network performance in the face of higher usage by our customers,” he writes.
Thomas commends Windstream’s 1,200 Georgia employees for how they’ve responded to the crisis. “Our call center employees in Cornelia and Dalton quickly embraced the technical challenges of working from home and are responding diligently to customer inquiries,” he adds. In addition, technicians continue to install and upgrade service and retail staff members continue to assist customers remotely.
Over $500M in upgrades
Thomas says over the past few years, Windstream has invested more than a half-billion dollars in its Georgia network.
“In 2013, 2,500 Georgia households had access to 25 Mbps. Today, 472,000 households have access to speeds of 25 Mbps or greater,” he says. “In addition, 270,000 have access to 100 Mbps or greater speeds.”
The congressmen tied their push for answers to the federal dollars Windstream gets through the FCCs Connect America Fund (CAF). The CAF program subsidizes internet service providers’ costs of building new network infrastructure and performing network upgrades.
Under the second phase of the program (CAF2), Windstream was required to offer broadband at speeds of at least 10 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 1 Mbps upstream to 64,721 households in Georgia. Thomas says the company went farther and “deployed CAF2 speeds to over 83,000 households—a nearly 30 percent increase above the FCC’s requirement.”
Q & A
This isn’t the first time Rep. Collins has taken Windstream to task for its service performance and reliability.
In 2016, constituents applauded Collins’ efforts to push for better rural internet service; now, some skeptics are calling his latest bi-partisan push ‘election-year politics.’ Regardless, Collins and the other congressmen got what they asked for. They sent Thomas a list of questions regarding Windstream’s pandemic response. Here are his answers:
1. What specific steps has Windstream taken to respond to the increase in broadband usage in Georgia due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Windstream moved quickly to minimize the impact of the pandemic on our ability to serve our customers. As a result of these actions, since the beginning of March, a record 15,400 of our Georgia customers have been upgraded or had service installed in response to the demand for greater broadband access. To allow implementation of these services, we instituted home-garaging for technicians and equipped call center employees to work from home, minimizing contact among team members. We are working daily to ensure that our technicians have access to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need to keep them and our customers safe while still meeting the increased demand for speed upgrades and new connections.
Additionally, Windstream’s Network Operations group is closely monitoring demand levels across our core transport network. As a result of enhancements Windstream made over the past few years, there is no congestion on this critical layer of the network, which carries broadband traffic from local communities to the wider internet.
2. Does Windstream’s plan to address increased usage due to the pandemic include upgrades for consumers living in more rural areas?
As the result of the upgrades mentioned above, Windstream has the ability to increase bandwidth for many of our rural customers. However, while core capacity is not an issue, subscribed speeds and in-home Wi-Fi configurations can pose problems for some customers. Windstream is aware of these customer needs and continues to provide speed upgrades and expanded Wi-Fi options. In terms of expanding broadband coverage, this pandemic has made it more evident than ever that every home needs a high-speed internet connection to support education and telehealth.
We are hopeful that government-funded broadband programs, like the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction, scheduled to take place later this year, will help Windstream and other rural telecommunications providers meet these needs. We believe the FCC’s focus on improving broadband maps to clearly identify where funds should be deployed will help solve this problem. We remain committed to working with our state and federal government partners to ensure that rural Americans have access to the same broadband services and online resources as those in urban areas.
3. Are you charging consumers for equipment upgrades that are necessary to meet access demands during this time?
Equipment upgrades and potential costs are determined based on the customer’s current product subscription and upgrade needs. Windstream has multiple promotions to help offset any potential costs for customers upgrade needs during the pandemic.
4. Which of Windstream’s service areas in Georgia have been upgraded due to the
outbreak?
All of our Georgia customers benefit from past enhancements made to the core transport network. We are working creatively to deliver service to those who do not currently have it.
5. How is Windstream responding to complaints by consumers during this time? What is the timeframe in which consumers experiencing accessibility issues can expect a response from your company?
As mentioned above, all of our domestic call center employees are “work from home” enabled, and our Care and Repair centers are operating business as usual, assisting customers as needs arise. We also have several online self-service tools available primarily through our primary residential MyWIN portal, and we respond to requests made through social media. Our complaints division complies with all applicable governmental response requirements.
6. Has Windstream implemented any new policies or procedures to assist those who have been furloughed or laid-off as a result of COVID-19 and are struggling to pay their bills?
Windstream has signed the FCC’s Keep Americans Connected pledge. For the sixty days from March 13, Windstream will not suspend service to residential and small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills specifically due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. During this time, Windstream will also waive any late fees because of customers’ economic circumstances specifically related to the coronavirus pandemic. Customers finding themselves in need of this assistance should contact Windstream to discuss available options. We are also offering discounts, including two months of free service, to any new Kinetic Internet customer who is qualified for Lifeline benefits.
In addition, Kinetic Business and Windstream Enterprise are helping businesses of all sizes work remotely during this crisis. Until June 30, Windstream Enterprise is offering a free 90-day trial of OfficeSuite UC for mobility and HD Meeting for video and audio collaboration. Details are available at www.windstreamenterprise.com. Until June 30, Kinetic Business will offer a free 90-day trial of HD Meeting to small and medium-sized businesses for video and audio collaboration.
Thomas concludes his letter saying, “These are challenging and unprecedented times, and Windstream appreciates your continued support. We look forward to working with you to ensure that your constituents and our customers stay connected for the duration of this crisis and beyond.”
Windstream customers with questions about their current service or upgrades may contact the company at 1-800-347-1991 or online through www.windstream.com.
READ the full letter here
