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The Logan Township supervisors Thursday welcomed a request from a Comcast representative for a cable franchise that would enable the company to compete locally with Breezeline.
"Good news for the area," said Supervisors' Chairman Jim Patterson. "Competition never hurt anybody," said Supervisor Joe Metzgar -- who later revised that to observe that it's "good for the public," at least.
Logan is part of a consortium of local municipalities that have hired a Pittsburgh law firm to negotiate a franchise deal with Comcast, and on Thursday the supervisors lodged no objections to the firm proceeding with the filing of permits and other preconstruction activities -- such as making arrangements with PennDOT, the one-call system, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the power company that owns the poles.
That permission will help the firm "keep boots on the ground," said Jenn Frees, senior manager for government affairs for Comcast.
The company has already done a "walk out" -- an examination of poles -- plus a system design for Logan and Altoona, Frees said.
Comcast can't begin to provide services, however, without a franchise agreement, she said.
Franchise agreements with municipalities are required by the 1984 Cable Act, she said.
They provide permission for firms to use municipal rights of way, attaching wires to poles or burying them, she said.
The franchise agreements apply only to cable -- although the company also plans to offer internet, digital phone service and home security service in the
area, with a single
customer connection.
The company is working to deliver service also to Blair and Allegheny townships and Hollidaysburg and Duncansville.
Total buildout takes about 24 months, with the first six months devoted to preconstruction or "make ready," according to Frees.
She didn't provide an estimate for when service would be available in Logan.
That availability isn't likely to happen all at once, according to Frees.
If workers start the build-out at one end, they'll "light it up as we go, as we finish a node," she said.
Depending on how many subscribers sign on, the firm may establish a local "maintenance hub," she said.
"We're expecting to do well," based on the number of calls asking for the company to move into the area, she said.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.