NEW BLOOMFIELD, PERRY COUNTY, Pa. - Some CenturyLink customers in Perry County have long complained the service isn't what it should be. After recent storms, some say it's become even worse and the company isn't working to fix it.
Some CenturyLink customers in Perry County are fed up with their phone and internet services.
"The connection itself is slow and spotty," said Michelle Jones, administrator at the Perry County Economic Development Authority. "And customer service is frustrating at best."
It seems to be a county-wide issue, mainly effecting people in the western half where they don't have other internet and phone options. Not only is it impacting people on a personal level, it also has an economic impact on the county.
"It hinders growth," said Jones. "It hinders the ability for these businesses that exist to compete with people in other parts of the county or region."
Because of the lack of reliable internet and phone services with CentueyLink, both the Perry County Commissioners and the Perry County Economic Development Authority say the businesses the county attracts aren't ones that rely heavily on strong internet connections
"You can't get business to look into coming to Perry County if they can't get good access to internet," said Paul Rudy Jr., Perry County Commissioner.
In addition to unreliable service, CenturyLink customers and the commissioners are concerned with the company's maintenance of wires and poles that are falling and or partially down.
We reached out to CenturyLink about these issues. They sent us this statement:
CenturyLink is continually investing in its operations to bring our customers the latest technological advances in our industry. These advancements are often accompanied with changes to our existing systems and processes.
A recent investment that will enhance certain systems in Pennsylvania that manage our technicians' schedules and provide a better customer experience, along with strong demand for our residential products and services, has temporarily affected our ability to serve our customers in Pennsylvania with the level of commitment we expect from ourselves.
We regret the delays some are experiencing. We have and will continue to prioritize our efforts to restore service to affected customers in order to address our backlog of repairs - we are making significant progress. We have recently provided additional support in Virginia as well.
The commissioners are now working on a place of action to try and fix this problem with CenturyLink.
"I think we'll be talking with our I.T. guy and probably get a response from [Representative] Mark Keller's office and then we'll go to the next step," said commissioner Stephen Naylor.
Perry County officials are asking anyone with CenturyLink service problems to not only contact the company but also contact the county commissioners.
