Connecticut
Connecticut Sues Internet Provider Over Hidden Fees, Deceptive Advertising
HARTFORD – Attorney General William Tong claims that Optimum Online, an internet service provider, has collected tens of millions of dollars in illegal fees from Connecticut consumers.
Now the state is suing Altice, Optimum’s parent company, to ban the fees and return the money to customers.
The state is accusing Altice, a European telecom conglomerate that acquired the former Cablevision services in 2016, of violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act by unlawfully charging a “network enhancement fee.”
The complaint further alleges that Altice buries disclosures about advertised speed limits by listing them on the back of mailers in tiny print, in gray-on-gray backgrounds and in small “floating” words in their TV ads. The company is also accused of putting English-language disclaimers on Spanish marketing materials.
The complaint seeks both restitution for consumers and penalties.
The Office of the Attorney General first launched its investigation into Altice in November 2022, following more than 500 consumer complaints alleging hidden fees, poor technical support, and slow internet speeds.
According to Tong, Altice began unlawfully charging its customers a monthly fee of $2.50 in January 2019, which has increased over time to the current charge of $6 per month.
In total, Tong claims Altice has collected millions of dollars from Connecticut consumers through the “junk fee,” over and above the regular monthly internet service charge. He also alleges that the fee was not disclosed up front and appeared only in the shopping cart after a consumer selects an internet service.
“When customers pay for Internet service, they have a right to expect promised speeds and network reliability without being nickel and dimed with junk fees,” said Tong.
“It’s not a small amount, by the way, and it’s important to note that this is really hitting people and families every single day. This network enhancement fee is not a tax. It’s not a federally or state mandated fee. It’s just an extra charge that Altice is slipping in on the bill to take money from all of us.”
Altice defended the fee as necessary to “maintain and improve the network” and in a written statement, the company said the state’s lawsuit is “without merit.”
“Altice USA shares the state’s goal of ensuring Connecticut residents and businesses receive high-quality connectivity services and superior customer support. The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into its network, products, and support experiences across the state of Connecticut, which includes the deployment of our 100% Fiber Internet network to over two-thirds of our footprint in the state, delivering symmetrical speeds of up to 8 gig, the fastest residential internet service in our Connecticut service area. Altice USA provides customers with various offers at different speeds and price points, delivering reliable speeds and service with transparent pricing to customers throughout the state,” said Communications Director Erin Smyth.
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, described the “junk fees” as a deceptive scheme and of significant concern for residents in areas like Fairfield County and Litchfield County where options for internet service are limited.
“Frankly, Altice, which is a French company, uses Fairfield County and Litchfield County and all their customers as an ATM machine to send money back to their foreign company. We’re getting nothing in return for all these fees that we pay,” Duff said.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) — Aaliyah Edwards came off the bench to score a game-high 21 points as the Connecticut Sun defeated the Portland Fire, 90-87, during Camp Day on Tuesday morning at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Thousands of kids were in attendance to watch the Sun hold on to a fourth-quarter lead as the Fire attempted to rally. Connecticut led by 10 at halftime and saw its lead cut to one in the final period.
Brittney Griner added 20 points for the Sun, who ended their three-game homestand with a victory. Olivia Nelson-Ododa went 8-for-8 from the foul line en route to 16 points and Leila Lacan chipped in 14.
Carla Leite led the Fire with 18 points.
The Sun visit Phoenix on Friday for the first of two games with the Mercury.
Florida’s tallest flag pole raises new Stars and Stripes on Independence Day
Florida’s tallest free-standing American flagpole now stands 250 feet tall at Bernice Braden Park in Cape Coral
You might have seen Connecticut’s state flag in government buildings and schools and wondered what the meaning was behind its design.
Adopted by the General Assembly in 1897, the Flag of Connecticut features a navy blue background with a white shield. Three grapevines with purple grapes are on the shield and oak leaves and acorns can be found on the shield’s edge.
Below the shield is a banner which features the phrase “Qui Transtulit Sustinet” written in Latin. According to ConnecticutHistory.org, that phrase translates to “He who transplanted still sustains,” which honors the colonists who moved to the state from England.
Per Encyclopedia Britannica, the three grapevines have two competing interpretations: they represent either the three oldest settlements in the state (Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor) or the three colonies that merged to form Connecticut (Connecticut Colony, Saybrook Colony and New Haven Colony).
Why is the Connecticut flag blue?
According to ConnecticutHistory.org, the blue comes from Connecticut’s Civil War military flags. During the Civil War, Connecticut regiments had flags featuring blue backgrounds. ConnecticutHistory.org reports that when the legislature adopted an official flag in 1897, they kept the color that military tradition had already established.
Origins of Connecticut’s state flag
Per ConnecticutHistory.org, Connecticut did not have an official state flag until 1897. The site reports that in 1895, the Anna Warner Bailey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Groton pushed for an official flag to display in their new meeting room.
Governor Owen Vincent Coffin introduced a bill on May 29, 1895, which ConnecticutHistory.org says caused the legislature to subsequently form a committee. After several designs were submitted, the Connecticut General Assembly adopted the flag in 1897.
Connecticut’s coat of arms, which includes the shield, grapevines and banner featured on the state flag, was not formally standardized until 1931, according to USASymbol.com. The website also says color standards for the flag came in 1956, when the Secretary of the State’s office developed uniform specifications.
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