Requires cable television companies to issue credits for service outages to all affected subscribers.
Impact
The bill amends the public service law by adding provisions specifically regarding outage credits. This legislative change could significantly impact how cable television companies operate, as they will now be held accountable for service reliability and required to provide financial compensation in the event of service interruptions. As such, companies may need to reassess their service agreements and operational protocols to prevent outages and minimize credit liabilities, which could lead to improvements in infrastructure and service quality overall.
Summary
Bill A08369 aims to enhance consumer protection for subscribers of cable television services by mandating that cable companies provide credits for service outages. Specifically, the bill requires these companies to credit subscribers when service interruptions occur, based on the duration of the outage. For interruptions lasting 24 hours or more, subscribers are entitled to a credit equal to one-thirtieth of their monthly service charge for each day of disruption. This move is intended to ensure that consumers are compensated fairly for the loss of service, encouraging companies to maintain better service reliability.
Contention
While the bill is aimed at enhancing consumer rights, there may be concerns from cable providers regarding the financial implications of issuing credits for service outages. Critics may argue that this requirement could lead to increased operational costs, which companies might pass on to consumers through higher service rates. Additionally, there may be discussions on defining what constitutes a 'service interruption' and the acceptable conditions under which credits would not be issued, particularly in cases where outages are caused by external factors such as natural disasters or power failures. Balancing consumer protection without imposing excessive burdens on service providers will likely be a point of contention during discussions surrounding the bill.
Requires cable television companies to offer cable television channels on an individual basis; provides that the public service commission be responsible for approving rates.
Prohibits cable television companies from collecting payment when an unsolicited reduction to service occurs; provides no request for future payment shall be made.
Relates to providing residents of municipal public housing in the state with free basic cable and high-speed internet service, and reimbursing internet service providers and cable television companies for providing such service.
Relates to requiring telephone corporations, cable television companies, and internet service providers to automatically refund its customers when their service is not working; provides such credit shall be given even when the service is not working for less than a twenty-four hour period.