Optimum plans to open retail store in Mercer County to serve customers
Oct. 29—PRINCETON — Plans for opening a retail location for a cable provider were discussed this week by the Mercer County Commission when the provider's parent company sought to renew the franchise agreement for operating a cable system within the county.
Thomas J. O'Neill, who represents government affairs for Altice USA, appeared Oct 25 during a special commission meeting to seek a franchise renewal.
"I'm before the commission today because we're seeking a renewal on our franchise to operate a cable system in Mercer County," O'Neill with Altice USA, the owner of Optimum, which bought the Suddenlink company. "We've submitted a draft agreement for the commission's consideration and I'm here to take any questions you ma have."
Altice USA is the owner of Optimum, which was once Suddenlink. Mercer County Commission President Gene Buckner said that the company has changed repeatedly.
"One question that I have for you is that you've changed your name three or four times since I've even realized you were even a cable representative. I guess the reasoning for that would be?" Buckner asked.
"Altice has always been the name of the parent company," O'Neill said. "Altice was formed in 2015 wth the merger of Suddenlink and Cablevision, two cable services that operated in different parts of the country. Cablevision is primarily in the New York metropolitan area, Suddenlink in the balance of the country where it operates."
"The Cablevision portion of the company began using Optimum brand, and it was Aug. 1 where that branding was carried nationwide in the Suddenlink footprint, so the same company," he said. "Altice is the name of the parent, Optimum is the trade name that we operate under for cable services."
Buckner said that he had not heard the new company names in the past.
"I just found it odd because when we went to the Public Service Commission meeting where they got scalded pretty heavy, none of these other names were mentioned. It was all Suddenlink," he said.
"It's the same company," O'Neill replied. "The Cablevision wouldn't have been mentioned as a company back then because Cablevision different footprint, a different part of the country. The company was known as Suddenlink for many years and it's a rebranding. Altice has always been the parent company since 2015."
Suddenlink is now Optimum, he said.
Commissioner Bill Archer said that Bluefield State University has approached the county commission for several years trying to get onto a community access channel so it could broadcast the commission's meetings. Archer said he was unable to contact Suddenlink about broadcasting the meetings and asked O'Neill if he could help.
"I've made a note of that and I'd be happy to follow up with the college folks and programing people on making that happen," O'Neill said. "Sometimes technical issues have to be overcome if they originate outside of their footprint."
Buckner then asked if any arrangements had been made to open an Optimum office in Mercer County.
"We will be opening an office here in Princeton," O'Neill stated. "I don't have a specific opening day yet. Actually, one of the things I've been working on this week. We've been having an issue with a building permit with the city. I'm going through that. I don't know what will be at the retail location, whether that's going to be dispatch."
Service personnel are now dispatched out of a Beckley office. Mercer County residents complained about there being no local offices during a West Virginia Public Service Commission hearing about Suddenlink service. Buckner asked if customers would be able to pay bills at a new Princeton office, and O'Neill said yes.
The commission approved the franchise agreement renewal unanimously.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
