PHOENIX — Families struggling to work from home and learn from home have said the Valley’s major internet provider is making their job harder.
Cox Communications customers said they’re being saddled with higher bills and slower speeds.
“I just know that my family is struggling already,” said Erin Jenkins, a special-education teacher.
“I don't have a classroom, so even when I'm only working with one student, I still struggle with them being able to see what I'm doing, and me being able to see their video.”
Jenkins said the entire family including her teacher husband and two school-age children have dealt with slow speeds even after she paid for high-speed service.
But a top Cox executive said the company’s doing a good job handling surge of internet traffic from homes.
“Nobody could have ever envisioned this scenario of a global pandemic and the heat of the summer all at the same time,” said Susan Anable, vice president of public and governmental affairs.
“That being said, our network has held up really well.”
The pandemic has created a new online rush hour.
“NormalIy, middle of day is a part of the day when demands on our residential network are the lowest. Right now they’re really at the highest,” she said. “There’s a variety of reasons people aren’t getting maybe the service they are paying for that they think they should be getting at home."
Many customers are now paying extra for going over their monthly data allowance.
This month, Cox ended a four-month cap on charges for data overages.
“I don't think anyone else should have to pay basically an extra tax for this pandemic,” said Paulette Stevenson, a community college instructor who also has two school-age children learning at home.
“My kids couldn't go to school and I couldn't do my job without the Internet,” she said.
Anable said few customers were affected by the overage charge.
“A very small minority of our customers are ever close to exceeding that limit,” she said.
The pandemic has sidelined the company’s techs, so home service has been backed up.
Anable said techs could return as soon as next week.
