  Genesyxx Member Username: Genesyxx Post Number: 625 Registered: 02-2004 |
Telecom giant says it'll invest big in Michigan if cable TV, Web and phone service rules are revised. LANSING -- AT&T played the trump card Thursday in its push for a dramatic revision of Michigan's video franchise regulations: the promise of a $620 million investment and 2,000 new jobs in the next three years. "It would be a nice Christmas present for Michiganians," said AT&T Michigan President Gail Torreano, whose company is eager to package cable TV and high-speed Internet with phone service in the competition for consumer dollars. Torreano said AT&T's expansion and investment in Michigan would be much slower if it's forced to negotiate separate cable TV pacts with each of the 1,100 communities where it now offers phone service. Her comments came as lawmakers consider a bill to draw up uniform statewide rules governing video services. The bill would create a state agreement that essentially would replace the franchises cable TV companies such as Comcast and Charter are now required to negotiate with local municipalities. It's intended to boost competition by making it easier for additional firms to enter the Michigan marketplace. Rep. Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, who helped craft the measure, said it "will move Michigan into the 21st century for telecom." Dillon next year takes over as speaker of the Michigan House. The legislation passed the House by an 80-21 margin Nov. 14 and is under consideration in the Senate. If it's adopted in its current form, Torreano said, AT&T is ready to upgrade its fiber-optic network and hire 1,200 additional high-tech workers here by the end of 2007. AT&T has invested $250 million in Indiana and $800 million in Texas since they revised their cable TV rules in a similar way, according to Rep. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek, the chief sponsor. But city officials, loath to lose local control -- and possibly some of their franchise revenue -- want changes in the bill. Consumer groups argue it weakens guarantees there will be local channels where community events and government meetings are telecast. | ||
Mod Member Username: Mod Post Number: 70 Registered: 07-2004 |
Who gives a shit if I can't watch my inept local govt. on cable? I want options. My local govt. has been sucking on Comcast's tit and handing them the cable monopoly for years. Its time we had competition! | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 3165 Registered: 08-2004 |
LOL.... Mod you certainly can paint a picture with words!! It is interesting how Michigan Bell... aka Ameritech... aka SBC... aka AT&T... sold off their cable company Americast... aka Wide Open West... several years ago, and now want to get back into the cable business. I agree this is a win-win for the State of Michigan. Take away the "back room" deals of local politicians in awarding cable franchises. | ||
1953 Member Username: 1953 Post Number: 1179 Registered: 12-2004 |
Competition in public utilities is a sticky wicket....more complicated than the need for a fair market. | ||
Wilus1mj Member Username: Wilus1mj Post Number: 161 Registered: 05-2005 |
If the state works with the local cities with current contracts with Comcast/WOW to reimburse them to offset there losses...it could work. | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 164 Registered: 03-2006 |
Genesyxx, do you have a link to the article? | ||
Alsodave Member Username: Alsodave Post Number: 776 Registered: 10-2003 |
Not Genesyxx, but here's a link: http://www.mlive.com/newsflash /michigan/index.ssf?/base/news -39/1164908489150480.xml&story list=newsmichigan | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 165 Registered: 03-2006 |
Thanks Dave! | ||
Digitaldom Member Username: Digitaldom Post Number: 539 Registered: 08-2004 |
Yeah I am wow customer actually.. I was an Americast customer.. I never understood why they sold off there cable business... Mind you WOW has made great strides in customer service, technical services and otherwise.. I was Shocked.. ONLY 2 companies I deal with have ENGLISH speaking people in the US answers there phones.. They are WOW and Sprint PCS.. Shocking.. everyone else has moved to India.. when I call these folks.. My problems are fixed quickly NO script!  | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 3174 Registered: 08-2004 |
There's just something that grates me the wrong way when I hear someone say "Hi, my name is Kevin, how can I help you"... with a Bengali accent!! You know damn well his name is NOT Kevin. All these folks in India are assigned American names to use. That pseudo deception really irritates me! It's like... we're not stupid! | ||
Yvette248 Member Username: Yvette248 Post Number: 234 Registered: 10-2006 |
I thought it was just me glstok. I "LOVE" my Vonage service EXCEPT for the Indonesian named Sue who doesn't understand common english words. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1250 Registered: 11-2003 |
Comcast has real Americans on the call lines to do customer service. They are located in Sterling Heights on Van Dyke, and in fact they just expanded there so they can cover customer service for Minnesota. I had WOW for a while, but their high speed internet was crap so I went back to Comcast. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1844 Registered: 10-2004 |
Comcast is a Philly company. And its local service reps have been housed in various offices in the burbs--formerly in Plymouth Twp. and now in Ann Arbor and elsewhere. I have little to complain about my broadband (which is some three to four times T1 speed). | ||
Sticks Member Username: Sticks Post Number: 146 Registered: 08-2005 |
"It would be a nice Christmas present for Michiganians," said AT&T Michigan President Gail Torreano I didn't know she was talking about people living near the Wolverine/Hoosier line and not the rest of us Michiganders. | ||
Psip Member Username: Psip Post Number: 1319 Registered: 04-2005 |
Every time I call Comcraps customer service I ask where they are. The answer, Sault St. Marie, Canada. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1845 Registered: 10-2004 |
The few times I needed any service from Comcast, the personnel were from the former Metro One office (think that was its name) acquired by Comcast a few years ago near the prison in Plymouth or somewhere in Ann Arbor. Never had any from out of state. | ||
Syd Member Username: Syd Post Number: 1 Registered: 12-2006 |
The AT&T "U-verse" project will create jobs for a few years then the layoffs will begin. Once all that fiber is in the ground they will not need the work force that they now have. AT&T makes billions of dollars but at this point they are letting the condition of existing plant fail. When SBC bought Ameritech in 1999 the then CEO of Ameritech Dick Notebaert fluffed the stock price to a level; that couldnt be sustained. SBC never recovered from that purchase and the stock has been stagnant since 1999. Dont be fooled its all about greed. |
