Last year Connecticut's Department of Public Utility Control agreed with AT&T that its IPTV service, U-Verse, was not the same as cable TV service. So the franchising rules did not apply. This week, on the last night of their session before summer recess, the Connecticut state legislature passed a franchise reform bill that reinstated some of the regulations waived to AT&T's TV service, even though its not the same as cable.
AT&T will have to pay the same tax on gross earnings as the incumbent pay television service providers. It will also get a three-year exemption from personal property taxes on infrastructure upgrades. All incumbent TV service providers are now relieved of existing customer service regulations from the state level: Connecticut will recognize only federal standards moving forward.
For more on the legislation:
- read this article from MultiChannel News
ALSO: Illinois is considering legislation that will make it easier for AT&T to compete with the cable companies. Interesting twist: It would also cap the amount of time consumers will have to wait for the cable/IPTV guy. Hmm. Article