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[FONT=Verdana,Arial]For more than six months, Verizon has been laying fiber optic cable in Columbia and Ellicott City in hopes of making Howard County the first Maryland county with competing cable television service.[/FONT]
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But while Verizon Communications Inc. has a tentative deal with the county to allow it to begin offering cable TV service here, it has no firm contract.
The county's cable administrator, the representatives of two cable companies - Verizon and Comcast Corp. - and the County Council have for nearly a year been negotiating and wrestling their way to an agreement.
If an agreement can be reached, Verizon promises that 85 to 90 percent of county residents would be able to get its cable TV service within 36 months, with Columbia and Ellicott City residents being the first customers. Some customers could get service as early as March 2006.
County officials said that, if previous experiences hold true, cable TV rates would drop and customer service improve as the companies compete for business.
However, a slight chance exists that the sides won't reach an agreement before the Jan. 3 target date, which could push back the start date for Verizon to begin competing with Comcast, the lone cable television provider in Howard County.
The companies and the county have reached a tentative agreement that Verizon officials say suits them. However, Comcast officials and members of the County Council object to certain portions of the agreement.
During a County Council work session on the deal Dec. 20, Council Chairman Christopher Merdon reminded Verizon officials that the company has no contract to offer cable television in the county until the council approves it.
"We do not have a negotiated contract," Merdon told Verizon officials, whom he had earlier criticized for saying that they don't want to modify the tentative agreement with the council.
Verizon officials say they are investing millions to start cable TV service and compete against Comcast, which has 70,000 Howard County subscribers. Comcast officials counter that the tentative deal gives Verizon some competitive advantages and relaxes requirements that Comcast faced when it began service in the county.
Official criticizes Comcast
Howard County Cable Administrator Dean Smits finds himself at the center of the debate, with all sides expecting him to deliver a fair deal.
While acknowledging that he does not like some provisions of the proposed deal, Smits has criticized Comcast for delivering what he termed "misrepresentations and falsehoods" into the negotiations.
In a stern 10-page response to Comcast's complaints about the agreement, Smits repeatedly referred to the substance of some of those complaints as "false" or "absolutely false" or "misleading." Smits told the County Council Dec. 20 that he has prepared a request - if needed - to postpone the Jan. 3 target date for council approval of the agreement.
Council members have identified several issues they want addressed before approving the deal, saying they hope the companies and Smits can hammer out an agreement that addresses the concerns.
If not, the council will offer amendments to the agreement that in the end might not be acceptable to Verizon or Comcast.
The council's concerns include:
* The fact that Verizon has no cable TV office in the county. Verizon officials said operating a dedicated cable TV office in Howard is not part of their business model. Officials said the company prefers other options, including drop-off spots for customer's cable TV equipment and locations throughout the county where customers can pay cable bills.
* In three years, Verizon can opt out of the deal. Verizon officials said the company should be allowed to pull its cable service out of the county if it can't make money here. One incentive for Verizon to stay is that it has agreed to offer no cable TV service elsewhere in Maryland if it leaves Howard.
* Verizon's access to public affairs studios in the county. Comcast built and maintains studios used for public affairs broadcasts. Under the proposed agreement with the county, Verizon must offer the same public affairs broadcasts. Comcast says the cost to operate the studio exceeds what it gets in revenues to run the studio.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial]For more than six months, Verizon has been laying fiber optic cable in Columbia and Ellicott City in hopes of making Howard County the first Maryland county with competing cable television service.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial]
But while Verizon Communications Inc. has a tentative deal with the county to allow it to begin offering cable TV service here, it has no firm contract.
The county's cable administrator, the representatives of two cable companies - Verizon and Comcast Corp. - and the County Council have for nearly a year been negotiating and wrestling their way to an agreement.
If an agreement can be reached, Verizon promises that 85 to 90 percent of county residents would be able to get its cable TV service within 36 months, with Columbia and Ellicott City residents being the first customers. Some customers could get service as early as March 2006.
County officials said that, if previous experiences hold true, cable TV rates would drop and customer service improve as the companies compete for business.
However, a slight chance exists that the sides won't reach an agreement before the Jan. 3 target date, which could push back the start date for Verizon to begin competing with Comcast, the lone cable television provider in Howard County.
The companies and the county have reached a tentative agreement that Verizon officials say suits them. However, Comcast officials and members of the County Council object to certain portions of the agreement.
During a County Council work session on the deal Dec. 20, Council Chairman Christopher Merdon reminded Verizon officials that the company has no contract to offer cable television in the county until the council approves it.
"We do not have a negotiated contract," Merdon told Verizon officials, whom he had earlier criticized for saying that they don't want to modify the tentative agreement with the council.
Verizon officials say they are investing millions to start cable TV service and compete against Comcast, which has 70,000 Howard County subscribers. Comcast officials counter that the tentative deal gives Verizon some competitive advantages and relaxes requirements that Comcast faced when it began service in the county.
Official criticizes Comcast
Howard County Cable Administrator Dean Smits finds himself at the center of the debate, with all sides expecting him to deliver a fair deal.
While acknowledging that he does not like some provisions of the proposed deal, Smits has criticized Comcast for delivering what he termed "misrepresentations and falsehoods" into the negotiations.
In a stern 10-page response to Comcast's complaints about the agreement, Smits repeatedly referred to the substance of some of those complaints as "false" or "absolutely false" or "misleading." Smits told the County Council Dec. 20 that he has prepared a request - if needed - to postpone the Jan. 3 target date for council approval of the agreement.
Council members have identified several issues they want addressed before approving the deal, saying they hope the companies and Smits can hammer out an agreement that addresses the concerns.
If not, the council will offer amendments to the agreement that in the end might not be acceptable to Verizon or Comcast.
The council's concerns include:
* The fact that Verizon has no cable TV office in the county. Verizon officials said operating a dedicated cable TV office in Howard is not part of their business model. Officials said the company prefers other options, including drop-off spots for customer's cable TV equipment and locations throughout the county where customers can pay cable bills.
* In three years, Verizon can opt out of the deal. Verizon officials said the company should be allowed to pull its cable service out of the county if it can't make money here. One incentive for Verizon to stay is that it has agreed to offer no cable TV service elsewhere in Maryland if it leaves Howard.
* Verizon's access to public affairs studios in the county. Comcast built and maintains studios used for public affairs broadcasts. Under the proposed agreement with the county, Verizon must offer the same public affairs broadcasts. Comcast says the cost to operate the studio exceeds what it gets in revenues to run the studio.[/FONT]
