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GeorgeJ2
join:2002-03-05
Alexandria, VA
| reply to janderia
Re: City of Alexandria, VA (not Fairfax Co)
said by janderia  :Vice Mayor Redella S. "Del" Pepper is also a member of the Information Technology Council. It would be interesting to know if Verizon has even started talking with the city. Comcast HSI's prices have really been getting ridiculous lately and I'd appreciate the competition. As a customer who does not subscribe to Comcast cable television, I'm paying over $55 a month for internet access.  Interesting article about Verizon and SBC seeking to not have to secure local franchise agreements in Texas for video service.
Knowing the City of Alexandria the way I do I can almost bet a big stumbling block right now is scope of what giveaways Verizon is willing to give them in keeping with the local cable operator Comcast.
»news.com.com/Telcos%2C+cable+com···368.html
Telcos, Cable Companies Face Off Over TV Franchises
By Marguerite Reardon, Staff Writer
CNET News.com
Story last modified Fri May 27 13:34:00 PDT 2005
A conflict in Texas between cable companies and phone companies will come to a showdown this weekend over a new bill that would allow phone companies to offer television services without negotiating contracts with local governments.
The controversial bill, which is being considered by the Texas Senate and has stirred up lobbyists on both sides of the debate, is now in a Senate conference committee. The measure's fate will be determined this weekend, as lawmakers try to bring it to a vote before the legislative session ends, on May 30.
If the bill is passed with the contested provision intact, it will have sweeping implications for the television market in Texas and could be held up as a model for other states, such as California and New Jersey, which are considering similar changes to their public utilities laws.
The battle over whether phone companies should be required to get local franchises to offer TV is critical for SBC Communications and Verizon Communications as they move forward with their plans to deliver television service to consumers later this year.
The proposed law is especially important to SBC and Verizon because it would streamline the franchise process and drastically reduce the time it would take to roll out service in a particular community.
"We will be able to offer competitive video service to consumers much faster if we can get a statewide franchise instead of knocking on every city's door," said Bill Kula, a spokesman for Verizon. "A franchise can take anywhere between six to 18 months to negotiate. The network itself only takes about 18 months to build."
Specifically, the bill in Texas would allow Verizon and SBC to apply to the Public Utility Commission for statewide approval to deliver television services to cities throughout Texas. The current law requires companies to negotiate franchise contracts with individual cities.
The cable companies, such as Time Warner, Comcast and Cox Communications, oppose this approach because, they say, it unfairly favors telephone companies. For example, under this law cable companies would still be subject to the old rules for securing local franchises. The cable companies would also still be required to provide free access channels to communities and free access to municipal buildings, while the phone companies would not be required to make either accommodation.
Cable companies also accuse the telephone companies of pursuing statewide franchises because they don't want to provide access to poorer residents.
"Our view is that a more streamlined process is preferred and favors consumers," said Kevin Belgrade, a spokesman for SBC. "The TV market today is void of any real competition. Big cable companies have a lock on consumers, which has resulted in double-digit price increases."
For Verizon, the battle in Texas is especially critical, since if it loses there it will have to wait two more years before it can introduce a similar bill to the reconvened state legislature. What's more, Texas is one of the states where Verizon is furthest along in its deployment of the Fios fiber-optic network.
It has already completed building the network in eight Texas cities and expects to start offering television service to residents in Keller, Tex., by the end of the year. It also has construction under way in about two dozen other cities, which it expects to complete next year.
Verizon says current franchise rules could seriously delay the rollout of new services.
"We're already lobbying in Washington to take a federal approach to franchising to replace the labor-intensive city-by-city approach," said Verizon's Kula. "And we will continue pursuing franchises." | |
janderia
join:2001-02-16
Alexandria, VA
| reply to GeorgeJ2
Vice Mayor Redella S. "Del" Pepper is also a member of the Information Technology Council. It would be interesting to know if Verizon has even started talking with the city. Comcast HSI's prices have really been getting ridiculous lately and I'd appreciate the competition. As a customer who does not subscribe to Comcast cable television, I'm paying over $55 a month for internet access. | |
GeorgeJ2
join:2002-03-05
Alexandria, VA
| reply to bbrlogue
said by bbrlogue :said by GeorgeJ2 : Sounds good. So, who are the people to hammer and is there any template out there, sorta like a petition? Rose Boyd, a longtime city employee has been involved with technology issues and is a person to let know you would like to see Alexandria work with Verizon to bring FiOS to the City. You might also let your thoughts be known to the Council Members. Rob Krupicka seems fairly into technology, so he might appreciate the value in having FiOS.
Alexandria has perfect geography and demographics for FiOS, so I really have to wonder if more is going on than meets the eye, either that Comcast is behind the scenes derailing the effort, or the City expects too much in the way of fees, freebies for the schools and their pet projects. But this is all speculation, it may just be that for whatever reason Alexandria has not been at the top of Verizon's FioS deployment chart. I hope this changes. | |
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