Comcast is getting flack from some Philadelphia residential customers for trying to clean up its wiring with junction boxes outside their homes.
According to local news site Philly Voice, Comcast has begun informing some area customers that it will be installing 12-inch-x-12-inch square junction boxes outside their residence, primarily in cases where more than one cable enters the home. This is to “improve the appearance of the wiring,” Comcast said in a notification to customers.
Interviewed by the Voice, Philadelphia resident Ted Enger pushed back hard, demanding that the cable company give him a written promise that it won’t try to install a box on the side of his house.
"They were really aggressive to me," Enger said. "They said it was only going to be the size of a matchbox, which is ridiculous. It's 12-by-12. It says it on the notice of what they're going to potentially install.”
Another customer, Angela Pack of nearby Francisville, said she chased several Comcast techs away from her home. She claimed she had to threaten them with calling the police to get them to leave.
"It's funny to me that Comcast spends so much money trying to get customers back and then they turn around and do something like this," Pack said. "You could give me free Comcast service and I wouldn't go back to them.”
Pack was probably referring to a $350 million commitment made by Comcast in 2015 to improve its customer service reputation.
The Voice also interviewed Philadelphia City spokesman Mike Dunn, who said the cable company is merely trying to uphold its end of its local franchise agreement, which calls for it to “indentify and repair violations of the National Electric Safety Cod and the national Electric Code.”
Meanwhile, Comcast spokeswoman Jennifer Bilotta said the boxes are only being installed in residents that have three or more cables entering into the home. She said customer reactions have been positive for the most part, with the cable company also removing unnecessary wiring.