Cable Bill Dead, Chattanooga Invites AT&T To Provide Video Service

Submitted by Joe Legge on May 24, 2007 - 4:13pm. Blog | Staff

By now you've probably heard the "Cable Competition" bill was withdrawn by its sponsor in the Tennessee House. What's next? I got this release from the city of Chattanooga a couple of hours ago:

Chattanooga, TN – With the recent tabling of the proposed Competitive Cable and Video Services Act of 2007 (Senate Bill 1933 and House Bill 1421) by the bill’s House sponsors, TN State Representatives Steve McDaniel and Charles Curtiss till next legislative year, Mayor Ron Littlefield and the City of Chattanooga would like to encourage and welcome AT&T to meet with City officials to develop and implement a cable franchise agreement to give competition and choice to Chattanoogans.

Mayor Ron Littlefield stated, “The City of Chattanooga has always welcomed and encouraged competition within the realm of cable service providers and all other avenues of business. There has been an open door policy to AT&T and all other cable utilities for over 12 years encouraging them to meet with the City of Chattanooga and develop a well structured and meaningful franchise agreement which will serve the needs of both the cable industry and the residents of the City of Chattanooga.”

Mayor Littlefield further stated, “I look forward to working with AT&T in the future and creating a stable and fair franchise agreement that will be based on the needs of AT&T, this community, its residents, and its local government.”

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I fantasize about ditching Comcast when there is an alternative

Submitted by Leonard (not verified) on June 28, 2007 - 8:10pm.

The very moment something other than Comcast highspeed internet is offered to chattanooga/hixson area is the exact moment I will be on the phone signing up for anything other than Comcast highspeed internet. They act like they are the only show in town because they are...the representatives are rude and at time lazy. It is possible to get three different answers in the space of 10 minutes about what may be wrong with your service. Favorite answer seems to be we'll assign a CF blah blah blah so you can pay someone to come out and look at it. I hate Comcast, but I like highspeed internet. I would pay more to try someone else's service and also just to encourage any competition to Comcast.

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cigarette tax

Submitted by charlie krause (not verified) on June 7, 2007 - 6:35pm.

This is an unfair tax. Why should the cigarette smokers be the only ones targeted, are they outcast and bad people because they smoke? When the state got the lottery voted in they said it was for schools and scholarships what happened to that money? Something is wrong with this picture.

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Cable

Submitted by Brandon (not verified) on May 30, 2007 - 12:29pm.

We definitely need competition...right now Comcast's customer service is terrible and they have no reason to try to improve it since they have a monopoly over the industry. I think some healthy competition would provide jobs, lower prices and maybe force Comcast to improve their horrendous customer service.

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Cable bill rejection

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on May 27, 2007 - 12:23pm.

The TBI and FBI ought to be investigating why the cable competition bill was voted down. It sounds like some politicians are being paid by ComCast to keep out any competition and to preserve their monopoly. Also, where is the U.S. Supreme Court on this issue? They have stopped other monopolies. Why don't they stop Comcast!

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Bad for Tennessee

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on May 24, 2007 - 10:37pm.

This is a bad move for the sate of Tennesse. I would assume that now AT&T will only try to enter the major markets of Tennessee and leave the rural markets alone. By major, I mean Chattanooga(hopefully) and larger. I really can't understand the stupidity of the lawmakers in the house. This bill would have only brought money and jobs to Tennessee. All states around our state have approved a bill like this. I think that there is something crooked about this. This really deserves a second look into why the lawmakers decided to not allow for competition. The PEOPLE wanted it. It's the greasy palms of the local governments that didn't.

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AT&T /Cable

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on May 26, 2007 - 12:29am.

I despise AT&T as much as Comcast. The have already taken over my Cingular Cell Phone account and my internet account and my land phone. AT&T are as greedy if not more so than Comcast. When one of their representatives convinced my to change my long distant plan to another of their plans, it cost me more not less. Then when I ask for my old plan back they told me, "no," that it had been a grandfather plan. Also since I changed my original plan I no longer get the $5.00 a month discount on my dial up service. They already control too many things, if you know what I mean. They don't need to meet with anybody.

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Bad?

Submitted by cm (not verified) on May 25, 2007 - 11:23am.

How is this bad for Tennessee. As I understand it opens the doors for competition where they were closed before. Do you currently have a choice of cable TV providers? I don't. My sister in Florida has three choices of cable/internet, prices are lower, selection of channels and internet service levels are wider, and the whole world hasn't fallen apart to boot. Sounds good to me.

Do I know that this will turn out that way? No. But I'm ready for some alternatives.

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