Three Georgia U.S. Representatives call on Windstream to do more for rural customers during pandemic

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR

U.S.Representative Doug Collins joined Representatives Austin Scott and Sanford Bishop in sending a letter to Windstream underscoring the importance of providing increased access to broadband – particularly in rural areas – in the midst of COVID-19.

In the letter, the Representatives said many of their constituents continue to struggle with poor broadband speeds at a time when it’s needed most with people having to work from home and students who have to keep up with their studies at home.

In response, Windstream CEO Tony Thomas noted the company has spent some $500-million dollars in upgrades to rural areas.

But Collins tells WLHR News that’s what Thomas has been saying for years.

“They’ve not changed hardly anything. This is the same CEO that basically blamed customers for not knowing how to work the Internet. I salute the local Windstream employees. They’re doing the best they can under a bad situation,” Collins said.

The Congressmen’s letter also pointed out Congress has taken significant steps toward expanding rural broadband infrastructure in recent years, including securing federal funding to providers in rural areas.

Windstream received federal millions in federal funding to improve Broadband service in rural communities, but Collins said Congress still has no idea how that money was spent.

“I’ve asked questions from them for years on how they’ve spent their federal money, how they’ve expanded their network and how they’re going about this and they’ve never answered any of those. So, frankly, his credibility to me and his customers is non-existent,” he said.

On their Web site, Windstream officials say Windstream Enterprise supplying public agencies around the United States with stable, secure remote communications tools so they can continue the critical work of keeping people safe and governments operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Company said a wide range of state and local governments are utilizing Windstream’s virtual, cloud-optimized solutions like OfficeSuite UC® and HD Meeting® to maintain communications.

Company officials also said they are continuously monitoring bandwidth usage, analyzing network statistics and reviewing performance and capacity reports.

On their Blog, Windstream said they are using a highly available and highly resilient network architecture to provide reliable services to our customers, which are delivered over multiple platforms including a nationwide IP network, a proprietary cloud core architecture, and on a local and long-haul fiber network spanning approximately 150,000 miles.