My Spectrum Internet Bait and Switch

It’s time for cable companies to unbundle Internet, TV, and Phone and give us the service we want

Isn’t cord-cutting awesome? All you need is a broadband Internet connection and you can enjoy Internet access and streaming TV content from the set-top box of your choice.

Among those offering Internet plans to the cable-free set is Spectrum, which is owned by Charter Communications, the company that gobbled up Time Warner Cable and Bright House. For just $19.99 a month you can get something called Spectrum Internet Assist. It promises 30 Mbps download speeds and doesn’t saddle you with Cable TV or the bill that comes with it.

That’s the fantasy. Here’s the reality.

As I prepared to move my daughter and her girlfriend into their first off-campus apartment, losing some of the built-in dorm perks like a quick walk to class and ubiquitous broadband Wi-Fi, we went in search of affordable Internet. She’d need it for email, accessing syllabi, managing her curriculum, and entertainment.

Who needs cable?

Like most millennials, my daughter almost never watches anything, save The Bachelor, on broadcast TV. She’s devoted to a collection of streaming apps, Hulu, HBO Go, and Netflix, all installed…