Will Edison residents get to choose a new internet, cable provider?
EDISON – Comcast Xfinity is seeking permission next week to bring telecommunications service to the township as part of an effort to give residents another choice of their service provider.
A public hearing on an ordinance authorizing the execution of a rights-of-way agreement between Comcast and the township is scheduled at the March 23 Township Council meeting.
Council members approved the introduction of the ordinance at the March 8 meeting, although several questions were raised about the plan. Councilwoman Joyce Ship-Freeman abstained from voting on the ordinance's introduction.
Plans to bring Comcast into town were first announced last month during Mayor Sam Joshi's State of the Township address, as a way to hopefully improve internet access in the community, an initiative Joshi pushed for during his run for office.
Councilman Richard Brescher questioned whether Comcast plans to install their own infrastructure, or use the existing lines installed by Optimum.
Township Attorney David Minchello was unsure if Comcast plans to fully rely on the existing infrastructure but said it has the right to provide additional infrastructure.
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The mayor said Wednesday that Comcast will build out new infrastructure and will directly be competing with Optimum.
Under the agreement, Comcast would pay an annual fee of 3.5 percent of gross revenues derived from TV service charges or fees paid by subscribers.
"You could look at this as a good thing. It brings in competition, but the main problem is the old infrastructure," said Brescher, who formerly served on the Council's cable television committee. "What we found is if you had the new fiber optic with Optimum, there were virtually no complaints. If you had the old cable, there were complaints consistently about internet access so if they are not going to put that infrastructure in, I don't see what this does."
In reading the agreement, Brescher said he only saw references to TV service, not internet service, and throughout the township the issue was always the sudden drop in internet service. Brescher said internet service should be added to the agreement before it is approved.
"The only thing we have a problem with is because of the internet. There is nothing wrong with the cable," added Ship-Freeman. "We have a lot of people who work from home and that's where the problems came in with the internet. I thought we were getting broadband and this whole internet service."
She suggested tabling the ordinance until the township finds out what other services Comcast plans to offer.
But Councilman Nishith Patel said as a consumer he likes having a choice and was willing to take what he could get. He added the ordinance states Comcast will provide a fiber network TV service to township residents and they will benefit from the increased competition from Comcast's offering of TV, broadband internet and voice services.
Council Vice President Margot Harris didn't see a downside in giving Comcast a try and suggested things could be tweaked along the way.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Comcast Xfinity internet, cable service may come to Edison
