Thanks for Nothing, Altice
An Optimum Wi-Fi Extender reminds me this company still hasn’t fixed its technology
In snail mail and texts, I got the news. My broadband and cable provider Optimum, Altice’s local cable company, which is bought in 2015, was sending me a free Wi-Fi Extender.
I was surprised. The company hadn’t done so much as ask me if I needed it — spoiler alert: I did. Plus, for a company that, like most broadband service providers, likes to nickel and dime you to death for every single service and piece of equipment, free hardware was way out of character.
Not only was Optimum sending me the hardware, but they were anxious for me to install it as soon as I got it.
A few days after the initial texts and mailings, a small box arrived with the hand-sized, white plastic extender inside of it. It came with relatively straightforward instructions, and I set about installing it.
Before I get to the experience, a little bit of my Optimum/Altice history.
I used to love Altice. It arrived on my doorstep — actually a friendly salesperson — almost five years ago and precisely at the time when I was looking for ways to cut expenses. After almost 20 years with Verizon FiOS, I needed a more affordable option. Altice not only beat FiOS by almost…
