Time Warner Customers Furious Over New Monthly Modem Fees
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Time Warner subscribers will be feeling some pain in their wallets if they want to continue to receive access to e-mail, videos and daily news.
A new Internet modem lease fee is going to add an extra $3.95 to monthly Time Warner bills.
"I'm just paying more money for the same modem. I'm not getting anything extra," Doris Chong told CBS 2's Sean Hennessey on Wednesday night.
For Chong, the Internet is a necessity. Multiple-sclerosis has confined her to a wheel chair.
"I tend to rely on it to do shopping online," she said.
The change will result in an additional $50 a year for Internet users. Time Warner blamed the charges on increased equipment maintenance, and repair costs. Customers can avoid the fee if they buy a Time Warner approved modem. The modems range in price from $50 to $150.
Customers like Yves Mathurin, a subscriber from Harlem, told CBS 2's Hennessey that they feel trapped.
"I can't go to satellite because of my building, and they don't let us put satellite, so basically I'm stuck with them," she said.
The new fees will affect Time Warner customers who have had service since before March. Customers who signed up after March are already paying a modem fee of $2.50 a month. By comparison, Comcast customers pay a $7 monthly fee for their modems.
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