IP Democracy: SBC Lands PUC-Granted Franchise in Texas

After winning a legislative fight to gain state-wide franchising rights in Texas, SBC has been granted a franchise by the state PUC to offer video services in San Antonio and 20 nearby communities, just in time for the company’s promised limited market rollout of fiber-based Project Lightspeed video services. SBC said it would begin the video-over-VDSL service in San Antonio by year-end.

The state PUC, which now awards franchises in lieu of cumbersome city-by-city contract awards, has approved franchises for Guadalupe Valley Communications Systems LP, Grande Communications Networks Inc. and Verizon’s GTE Southwest Inc. doing business as Verizon Southwest.

The PUC is also scheduled to rule on more franchise applications today, including one from Pathway Comp-Tel Inc. and is slated to rule on another, from ETS Cablevision Inc., doing business as En-Touch Systems Inc., by Monday.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on November 2, 2005 8:09 AM to IP Democracy