ORLANDO, FL - U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) asked the heads of the nation’s largest cable, telephone and internet providers today to provide Hurricane Irma victims rebates for service interruptions and impose a 60-day moratorium on late fees and other penalties. 

Nelson made the request in letters sent to the CEOs of AT&T, CenturyLink, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Enterprises, Frontier Communications, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.    

“I’ve been heartened by the many stories of Floridians helping Floridians as I crisscross the state to survey the damage. I ask that you follow their example and do all you can to ease the burden on those suffering from the storm.  Now is the time to lend a helping hand to your fellow Americans—to help them meet their immediate needs without the added stress of excessive financial demands,” Nelson wrote.

According to data released yesterday by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), at least 8.1 million cable and wireline subscribers are without service in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia due to Hurricane Irma. Additionally, the FCC reported that 18 percent of cell sites in Florida were out of service.

Below is the text of Nelson’s letter and a list of company executives receiving the letter.  Click here for a pdf of the letter. 

September 14, 2017

Mr. Lowell McAdam

Chairman and CEO

Verizon

140 West Street

New York, NY 10007

Dear Mr. McAdam,

As you know, Florida is beginning to come back from the depths of Hurricane Irma, a monster storm that swallowed much of the state, flooding neighborhoods and knocking out power for millions of people.  I know your company is hard at work restoring communications service to the citizens of my state as quickly as possible, and I continue to urge you to make restoration of service a top priority.

As we begin the recovery process, it’s important that consumers not be saddled with late fees and other unnecessary costs—particularly those without the means to deal with such costs. Therefore, I ask that you provide a 60-day moratorium on late fees, interest accrual, penalties, and any other unnecessary costs, to give people time to recover and get back on their feet.  I also would request that your companies provide rebates or credits to your subscribers for any interruption in voice, video, or internet service that occurred due to Hurricane Irma.

I’ve been heartened by the many stories of Floridians helping Floridians as I crisscross the state to survey the damage. I ask that you follow their example and do all you can to ease the burden on those suffering from the storm. Now is the time to lend a helping hand to your fellow Americans—to help them meet their immediate needs without the added stress of excessive financial demands.

I look forward to hearing your response to this request and stand ready to work with you to serve the people of Florida. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,