AT&T Promises to Abide by Barton Bill

AT&T PROMISES TO ABIDE BY BARTON BILL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
AT&T promised a top House Democrat that its video service will be regulated under the terms established by a new telecommunications bill expected to be approved Wednesday by a House subcommittee. “To the extent … that you and other members may be concerned that AT&T would not be covered by the draft [bill], we would welcome discussions with the [Energy and Commerce Committee] to ensure that AT&T’s video offering falls under the bill,” an AT&T official said in a letter to Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) Monday. The House bill, sponsored by Energy and Commerce chairman Joe Barton (R-TX), would make a national cable franchise available to phone companies in effort to bypass franchising at the municipal level. Lawmakers on the House Subcommittee on the Internet began debate on the bill Tuesday afternoon and vote on amendments today. National franchises would be awarded to providers of “cable service” as defined by federal law. AT&T’s position was, and is, that its Project Lightspeed video service does not meet the cable-service definition. AT&T sued Walnut Creek and Lodi (CA) when those cities rejected its claim that its video service isn't a cable service. In a March 29 letter to AT&T chairman and CEO Edward Whitacre, Rep Dingell demanded responses to his concerns that if the bill became law, AT&T would be in position to claim that it was exempt from its terms, including payment of 5% of gross revenue to local governments and requirements to serve all income strata in a community.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321989.html?display=Breaking+News

See also --
* County fights for control over cable companies
[SOURCE: Ventura County Star, AUTHOR: Kevin Clerici, kclerici@VenturaCountyStar.com]
Cities in Ventura County could soon lose local control over cable company contracts if efforts by telephone giants AT&T and Verizon, among others rolling out new television services, are successful in undercutting the agencies' contracting powers. The Ventura City Council on Monday joined dozens of other agencies around the state and nation in urging Congress, the California Legislature and the governor to preserve its right to negotiate and collect fees locally from cable providers.
http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_226_4594197,00.html