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from: Fierce IPTV

Connecticut Franchise Battle Continues

October 9, 2007

The attorney general in Connecticut is not backing down in his quest to make sure AT&T’s U-verse is subject to the same requirements as cable TV operations. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s latest volley is a public request that AT&T’s franchise application be rejected, which seems counterintuitive on its face. Blumenthal fought to make AT&T obtain a franchise license from the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control in August. The PUC was all about letting AT&T slide, but a federal judge suggested otherwise.

from: New Times

ATT franchise issue not yet resolved

State regulators will continue to review AT&T's application to provide Internet TV despite a federal court ruling Tuesday saying the service should be regulated as a cable franchise.

Beryl Lyons, a Department of Public Utility Control spokeswoman, said the agency is aware of Tuesday's court ruling but, because of a new state law that governs video service, the issue of licensing AT&T as a cable franchise is moot.

from: New Haven Register

AT&T won’t halt TV services
Gregory B. Hladky, Capitol Bureau Chief
10/04/2007

-HARTFORD — AT&T executives insisted Wednesday that an adverse federal court ruling won’t curtail operation of their new television service, saying they will continue to offer alternative TV to more than 100,000 consumers.

from: Big Money Blog

Your Union. Delivered.

Back in May, we posted an item about state Democratic Party chairman Joe Wineke signing on as a lobbyist for AT&T to push for a cable TV franchising bill the company desires. The firestorm that Wineke's dual roles created eventually forced him to put an end to his lobbying work for the telecommunications giant.

from: MultiChannel News

AT&T Files to Become ‘Competitive Video Provider’

Connecticut AG Opposes Application As Telco Says State Law Provides ‘Clarity’ to Continue U-verse TV Rollout
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 10/1/2007 2:19:00 PM

AT&T filed an application Monday with the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control to become a “certified competitive video provider,” a new designation provided for under a state franchise-reform law. Meanwhile, the state’s attorney general continued to oppose treating the company any differently from incumbent cable providers.

Note: If AT&T takes their own Terms of Service agreement seriously, they will have to disconnect all their subscribers.

from: Ars Technica

AT&T threatens to disconnect subscribers who criticize the company

By Ken Fisher | Published: September 30, 2007 - 11:00PM CT

Note: OK, we confess to creative license on the title alteration, but frankly we're very tired of seeing these self-laudatory corporate press releases being picked up by local press as fact and as evidence of corporate benevolence on the part of the telcos' recent legislative scams. AT&T, like Verizon, is making a fortune off such misinformation and deceit. With their merger with SBC, AT&T promised to cut 10,000 jobs right off the bat, then there's the multi-million dollar contracts with the NSA and FBI to violate your privacy, finally, as in Ohio, they've succeeded in deregulating the cable TV market and are now eliminating the residents' First Amendment Rights by de-funding public access and PEG TV. Also note, the Internet Innovation Alliance is funded by AT&T and likely is nothing more than a staff of three PR agents copying and pasting these press releases. But we digress - on to the self-celebratory corporate text . . . hooray for competition and DSL quality broadband!

from: Nashville Post

General Assembly committee chief won't sponsor AT&T reform bill

09-25-2007

House Commerce Committee Chairman Charles Curtiss told NashvillePost.com this morning he will neither sponsor nor cosponsor legislation for video-services franchise reform during the next session of the General Assembly.

from: Chicago Tribune

AT&T applies for video permit
Company seeks state approval of franchise

By Jon Van

Tribune staff reporter

September 25, 2007

Although still a few months away from offering competitive video service in Illinois, AT&T on Monday applied to the state for a video franchise under a law enacted in June.

from: News Press

Crist lauds AT&T climb into cable, Internet ring
By Jim Ash
news-press.com Tallahassee Bureau
Originally posted on September 20, 2007

TALLAHASSEE — Communications giant AT&T of Florida announced today it is investing $750 million to bring high-speed Internet and video to customers it hopes to lure from traditional TV cable companies.