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Report Exposes Comcast Violations in Detroit
As part of the campaign to expose Comcast Communications' bad behavior, CWA has been working with communities that are learning firsthand how Comcast tries to bully elected officials and consumers, as well as employees.
Cities such as San Jose and Modesto, Calif., found that when they stood up to Comcast to demand higher quality service or to require that the company meet electrical code standards, Comcast's lawyers sought to intimidate them by filing lawsuits.
In the latest findings of Comcast violations, community leaders in Detroit released a scathing report that documented more than 40,000 electrical code violations by the company.
The independent analysis, "Plant Safety Evaluation of Comcast Cable in the City of Detroit, Mich.," was conducted in December 2003 by Kramer.Firm, Inc., and was commissioned by CWA.
Consumer advocate Esther Shapiro, CWA Representative Shannon Kirkland and representatives from Michigan Jobs with Justice and the Detroit AFL-CIO met with reporters outside a Comcast facility to release the findings March 1.
"Many of these violations are serious and can cause fires and electric shocks, yet Comcast refuses to acknowledge its service shortcomings and the dangerous conditions that exist in the Detroit community," Kirkland said.
The evaluation of Detroit's cable system was needed to determine whether Comcast's outside plant complies with applicable safety laws as defined in the National Electrical Code and National Electrical Safety Code, both of which apply to Comcast's Detroit system, the report said.
Among the findings:
Cities such as San Jose and Modesto, Calif., found that when they stood up to Comcast to demand higher quality service or to require that the company meet electrical code standards, Comcast's lawyers sought to intimidate them by filing lawsuits.
In the latest findings of Comcast violations, community leaders in Detroit released a scathing report that documented more than 40,000 electrical code violations by the company.
The independent analysis, "Plant Safety Evaluation of Comcast Cable in the City of Detroit, Mich.," was conducted in December 2003 by Kramer.Firm, Inc., and was commissioned by CWA.
Consumer advocate Esther Shapiro, CWA Representative Shannon Kirkland and representatives from Michigan Jobs with Justice and the Detroit AFL-CIO met with reporters outside a Comcast facility to release the findings March 1.
"Many of these violations are serious and can cause fires and electric shocks, yet Comcast refuses to acknowledge its service shortcomings and the dangerous conditions that exist in the Detroit community," Kirkland said.
The evaluation of Detroit's cable system was needed to determine whether Comcast's outside plant complies with applicable safety laws as defined in the National Electrical Code and National Electrical Safety Code, both of which apply to Comcast's Detroit system, the report said.
Among the findings:
- At least 40 percent of subscriber drops - the connections to customers' homes - are not properly grounded, or don't meet other NEC standards.
- Clearance requirements from other utility lines, including power lines and telephone, are not being met.
- Construction cleanup work is incomplete and will require 12-18 months to properly complete.