AT&T launches TV, Internet service in Northwest Arkansas
Posted on Thursday, January 8, 2009
After a two-year wait and a touch of controversy, there's another game in town for TV and communication services.
AT&T kicked off the introduction of its U-verse service in Northwest Arkansas Wednesday.
U-verse is a multifaceted, advanced Internet protocol network service that offers customers TV, broadband Internet, home phone and wireless service.
Fayetteville City Attorney Kit Williams said the city was first concerned with the service because it did not know how to handle a contract with a company that provided almost the same services as a cable provider but did not actually qualify as a cable provider.
AT&T claimed its service would not fall under the same category as its rival provider Cox Communications because it provides services via the Internet and not cable lines. There was also some concern that U-verse would not make public education and government channels available in their lowest tier of programming.
Williams said a contract was developed that was very similar to the one the city had with Cox, meaning AT&T agreed to pay a 5-percent franchise fee and agreed to host the public education and government channels on the lowest tier.
"It will go through the end of 2011 and gives us the same compensation as we would get from (a cable company)," he said.
Alan Ivester, area manager for sales zones for AT&T, said the kickoff of Uverse in Northwest Arkansas may have been a long time in the making, but it was mostly because the technology is brand new.
"We are extremely excited to be able to bring these new services to our customers," he said. "The reaction we've gotten so far from customers is that they love it and they're excited to have a competitive alternative in the market."
According to an AT&T release, Uverse is available in parts of Fort Smith, Barling, Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, Lowell and other neighboring towns and outlying areas. AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets will make U-verse services available to more homes throughout the area on an ongoing basis.
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