Thread: Comcast asks council to delay cable deal (Howard County)

Company says plan unfairly benefits Verizon

Comcast is pushing to delay a Howard County Council vote next month on approval of a new cable television franchise for rival Verizon, which claims the county will be the first place in Maryland to experience true free-market competition for cable TV services.

If the franchise is approved, 85 percent to 90 percent of Howard residents would have a choice between the two firms for video services within three years. But Comcast officials say the franchise that Howard County has negotiated with Verizon contains provisions unfair to Comcast, the county's only cable provider.

The battle between the two corporate giants is part of a national clash, as the lines between telephone, cable television and computer services gradually merge.

Verizon hopes for national legislation that will allow the company to avoid the painfully slow process of negotiating with every incorporated town, county and city in the United States to sell video services. Verizon has agreements in areas of California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts and Virginia. Most recently, it began service last month in Herndon, Va.

Meanwhile, Comcast is getting into the telephone business.

In making its case for a cable television franchise, Verizon boasts that its new fiber-optic service, called FiOS TV, will bring high-speed, large-capacity wires directly into people's homes. Verizon has been installing fiber-optic cable in Howard for the past six months -- which the company can do without a video franchise because the same wires deliver computer and telephone services.

County cable officials praised the Verizon franchise at a public hearing this week.

"This will give Howard County residents a choice for the first time ever," said Dean Smits, the county's cable administrator. He said competition could result in a 15 percent reduction in cable rates.

In a letter prepared for County Council members who have been lobbied by Comcast, Smits said "the 'issues' Comcast has raised are largely misrepresentations and falsehoods." The franchise agreement, he said, makes the two rivals overall equals as competitors.

"Residents of Howard County will reap the benefits. The addition of a second major service provider has no apparent down side," Martin Stein, chairman of the county cable advisory committee, said at the council hearing Monday night.

"This will be the first county in Maryland for this competition," added Denora L. Dingman, a Verizon vice president who at the hearing led a contingent of more than 50 company employees who live in Howard.

But that night, and at a council work session late Tuesday, Comcast officials asked that the bill be tabled for more review, claiming that a long list of franchise provisions is unfair.

"Where will customers go to pay their bills? Over 75,000 customers visited Comcast's business office," said Brian Lynch, Comcast area vice president, noting Comcast's objection that the franchise does not require a Verizon business office in Howard, such as Comcast's in Troy Hill Business Park in Elkridge.

Verizon spokesman Harry Mitchell called that argument "page one of the cable monopoly delay handbook."

At one point, Councilman David A. Rakes said he felt that, with the proposed franchise, "we're allowing Verizon to get a running start" on attracting new business. Verizon plans to begin delivering television services as soon as April, if the council approves the contract.

Smits, the cable administrator, disagreed with Rakes' assertion.



"Comcast is entrenched with more than 70,000 subscribers. They're a monopoly," he told the council.

After two hours of discussing a 10-page list of Comcast's concerns and Smits' replies, council members said they want answers on several of Comcast's points before the vote, scheduled for Jan. 3.

They want to know, for example, whether Verizon should be required to establish a business office in Howard County -- Laurie Edwards, Verizon franchise manager, said, "We have served out customers for years without a local business office" -- and whether the two competitors will cooperate on broadcasts of county government meetings.

Smits dismissed almost all of Comcast's written comments with words such as "false," "misleading" and "inane."

Smits added that any changes the council makes could require new legislation.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/loc...ck=1&cset=true

Whining cry-babies!!! Howard County councilman and cable administration have found the issues Comcast has raised "are largely misrepresentations and falsehoods." It's one thing to raise issues that are biased and unfair, but repeatedly Comcast's hit and run tactic are falling on deaf ears. Both citizens wanting more cable choices, and hard working government officials, will no longer tolerate such mischief. Comcast's arguments are void of substance and so full of holes they resemble swiss cheese.

Just say NO to big cable lobbyist and say YES to more cable choices!

Ah, if it was only that easy.

County Council to consider Verizon's challenge to Comcast's dominance

Vote could bring cable competition

In addition to deciding when and whether smoking should be banned in county restaurants and bars, the Howard County Council is likely to vote Tuesday night on another topic that could affect thousands of residents - a local cable television franchise for Verizon.

If the council approves the Verizon franchise, Howard County will become the first in Maryland to have true cable television competition. The move is part of a larger, gradual merging of video, telephone and computer services nationally. While Verizon is moving into video, Comcast is offering telephone services.

Although Council Chairman Christopher J. Merdon, an Ellicott City Republican, and west Columbia Democrat Ken Ulman are rivals on the smoking issue - and both are seeking the county executive's job next year - they're collaborating on the cable issue in a series of amendments to the proposed franchise.

"Having both Chris and I support it ought to be seen as a sign of passage. We ought to be proud to be the first county in Maryland to have cable competition," Ulman said.

Both said they support the changes and expect the franchise to be approved by the full council.

That would mean Verizon could begin serving its first video customers April 30, according to the agreement.

Comcast, the county's only cable television provider, had asked the council to delay approving a franchise for Verizon, the telecommunications giant that has been installing fiber-optic cable in Columbia and Ellicott City since last summer.

Among a long list of complaints about the franchise, Brian Lynch, Comcast area vice president, said it's not fair that Verizon isn't required to have a local business office while Comcast's office serviced 75,000 people last year.

County cable administrator Dean Smits, who helped negotiate the Verizon agreement, dismissed Comcast's complaints as unfounded.

The amendments from Merdon and Ulman address some of the complaints by Comcast officials. The changes would do four things:

# Require Verizon to open a local business office once 30,000 video customers are enrolled.

# Provide contact information for Howard County's cable administrator on Verizon bills.

# Require Verizon to have a franchise service manager for Howard, as Comcast does.

# Establish firm dates for starting service and providing service to county residents.

Merdon said the council wanted a local business office to serve residents but also wanted to give Verizon time to get established.

"I want to be able to give them enough leeway to get their program started and be successful," Merdon said. "The council wants a franchise service manager to have somebody we can call who's responsible for Howard County - a decision maker."

If the franchise is approved, Verizon is expected to have service available to up to 90 percent of county residents by April 2009, and to the entire county within seven years.

On the smoking issue, Ulman introduced an amendment for both pending smoking bills calling for an end to all smoking in bars and restaurants in three years, while Merdon submitted one for a four-year delay.

One of the bills before the council, sponsored by Ulman and County Executive James N. Robey, would allow a two-year delay before all smoking ends.

That bill was tabled last month. A second bill, sponsored by east Columbia Democrat David A. Rakes, would allow smoking indefinitely for places that now allow it. A 1996 law allows smoking in restaurants that have physically separate smoking areas. The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers in the George Howard building in Ellicott City.

The meeting will also see introduction of two separate bills that, if adopted in February, would increase salaries to $49,000 a year for the next county council, and $147,000 for the county executive elected next year.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/loc...ck=1&cset=true

Comcast's office serviced 75,000 people last year

should read

Comcast's office told 75,000 people last year that they can not pick up boxes at the office, that they need to schedule a service call to get a box.

Those comcast offices are useless.

-John

Originally Posted by jgantert

Comcast's office serviced 75,000 people last year
should read
Comcast's office told 75,000 people last year that they can not pick up boxes at the office, that they need to schedule a service call to get a box.
Those comcast offices are useless.
-John

One of my 6412 went bad, went to the local office, exchanged, no problem.

Originally Posted by jgantert

Comcast's office serviced 75,000 people last year
should read
Comcast's office told 75,000 people last year that they can not pick up boxes at the office, that they need to schedule a service call to get a box.
Those comcast offices are useless.
-John

each region maybe different or maybe part of the franchise agreement, who knows? Going out to the house though cuts down service calls. Some people don't understand how to hook the boxes up.

Yeah, unless you have to wait a MONTH for a scheduled apointment!

I've never had Comcast come out the same or next day for a service call, ever. Maybe for the initial install, but never on a service call.

Bruce> Not so in Howard County. Everything is done by apointment. I think you can pay bills and return unwanted equipement to the office, but thats it.

-John

jgantert,

Is the meeting still on for this evening? If so, will you be attending?