Collins Demands Answers From Windstream

U.S. Congressman Doug Collins is calling for a Congressional oversight committee to find out why Windstream Communications is providing such poor service to customers in Northeast Georgia.

Collins says he has received, “hundreds upon hundreds” of complaints from angry Windstream customers in the 9th District.

“I have to say that of a regular complaint that’s non-governmental, by far, out the door, we get more complaints about Windstream than any other complaints that we get in our office,” Collins said.

On Thursday, Collins’ office issued a copy of a letter the Congressman has sent to Windstream requesting information on why their service continues to underperform in Northeast Georgia, despite the federal government’s involvement.

In 2014, Windstream received millions in federal taxpayer money from the Phase II Connect America Fund to upgrade their system to fiber optic from copper and improve their Internet speeds.

They also received preferred tax status from the IRS resulting in a savings for the company of some $3-billion dollars.

Still, Windstream continues to offer substandard phone and Internet service to Northeast Georgia customers, even after agreeing to a $600,000 settlement in a class action action suit in Georgia in 2014 for false advertising about its Internet speeds.

Collins says he wants answers and in his letter, threatened hauling Windstream officials before a Congressional oversight committee.  In the letter, Collins writes, ” Congressional oversight of your company’s actions in Northeast Georgia is more than merited. And I believe, compelled. I have no doubt this letter will go unheeded, as the complaints of thousands of your customers have also gone unheeded. But I was sent to Washington, D.C. to represent the hard working families in Northeast Georgia, and I will continue to persist until we reach resolution.”

Collins he has been working on getting Windstream to improve its services to Northeast Georgia customers since first being elected, but he has consistently been ignored.

“We sent a letter a few weeks about to Tom Wheeler at the FCC about this and now a letter to Tony Thomas at Windstream,” Collins said. “In this situation the government does have a role. There is some issue of rights here. We’re giving taxpayer money to Windstream to do certain things and we believe they need to be held accountable.”

Collins asked Windstream to provide detailed documents on the company’s progress of upgrading its copper lines to fiber broadband.

Congressman also asked for documentation on what percentage of the fees Windstream is charging Northeast Georgia customers is being used to upgrade its equipment.

The Better Business Bureau says it has logged over 1,700 complaints from consumers about Windstream’s poor Internet service and false advertising.