A new cable company might be coming to Concord. Concord residents and councilors will hear from Atlantic Broadband on Monday at 5:30p.m. on how the cable provider would deliver services to the city.
Atlantic Broadband recently approached the city government about getting a cable franchise license, challenging long-time sole cable franchisee Comcast.
This public hearing is the the first step under state law in determining whether Concord will grant the company the franchise. At the hearing, the city will weigh whether Atlantic can provide “reasonable service quality in terms of available technology, subscriber interest, and cost,” and whether the company has “reasonable rules and policies for line extensions and disconnects, customer deposits, and billing practices,” among other considerations.
Concord residents will also be able to submit testimony to the city for two weeks after the meeting.
After that, the City Council can vote to authorize City Manager Tom Aspell to enter into negotiations to create a franchise agreement.
Even if Atlantic obtains a franchise, that doesn’t mean Comcast is out, since the cable franchise is not exclusive.
Concord’s cable TV franchise with Comcast earned the city $841,396 in revenue during fiscal year 2020. Those fees, which depend on the number of subscribers in the city, help pay for Concord TV, which runs a non-profit community access channel.