The Cable War Strikes Back

From the County Executive's Office

Dear Taylor Village Residents,

I am writing to update you on the status of Ellicott City Cable's (ECC) application for a secondary cable franchise in Taylor Village.

Today I will pre-file a resolution recommending approval of ECC's application for a secondary cable franchise. If the County Council approves the resolution, that would simply permit ECC to begin negotiating a formal cable franchise agreement with the County. With the exception of any tolling agreement, the law provides that such a cable franchise agreement must be approved within 90 days following the Council's decision to pass the resolution.

My decision to submit the resolution recommending approval rests upon ECC meeting two objectives. First, ECC has taken corrective action to address and repair any and all FCC and safety issues identified in a previous report conducted by an engineer hired by the County.

Secondly, I have been clear that ECC must permit competition into its marketplace. To date, I am pleased that Verizon has open access and Comcast is close to achieving the same level of service. Prior to the County entering into the cable franchise agreement, I will require that both carriers have the ability to offer their services to all residents.

Following today's submission, the following dates reflect the County Council's process it will follow, including opportunities for you to share your opinion on the matter:
- Formal introduction of the resolution will occur on April 7.
- A public hearing will occur on April 22 at 7:30 pm.
- The Council will hold a work session on April 28.
- The Council's final vote will occur on May 5.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Aaron Greenfield at 410.313.2013.


Looks pretty good from my perspective