AT&T on verge of offering TV service in Chicago

AT&T has taken its first formal step to begin TV service in the city of Chicago. Utilizing provisions of a new state law, the telecom giant's Illinois unit last week quietly filed notice with the city that it may begin offering Internet-based high-definition television service in portions of Chicago in as soon as 10 days. The service would compete with existing cable and satellite-based systems. The notice does not indicate when service actually might begin or exactly where, and the company is being cagey on its ultimate plans. The build-out includes upgrades of AT&T's existing network, which often is bundled with telephone service. The TV signal is carried by the Internet, rather than arriving through a separate cable or a satellite signal. Critics contend that the AT&T system shortchanges public-access and municipal channels carried by the cable companies.