Skeptics worry service, rates may suffer if Comcast spins off Minnesota

Right now, GreatLand Connections exists only on paper. But if you buy TV, Internet or phone service from Comcast in Minnesota, GreatLand could be your next cable provider.

If federal regulators back its $45 billion merger with Time Warner, Comcast says a new company, GreatLand, would be formed to take over the cable giant's operations in Minnesota and 10 other states. The move is meant to ease worries that Comcast and Time Warner combined would control too much of the pay TV and broadband markets in the United States. The potential spinoff, however, makes some regional regulators nervous. Some worry GreatLand's prices and service quality will be worse than what the estimated 550,000 Comcast subscribers in the metro area have now. Comcast officials dismiss the concerns. "Our goal is to make the transition to GreatLand Connections as seamless as possible for our customers, if it is indeed approved," Comcast spokesperson Mary Beth Schubert said. GreatLand will rely on rival Charter Communications for help with several important functions, including customer service, engineering and billing.