Cable television choices, at last. Now what?

To the Editor: The wait is finally over. For the first time in more than three decades, New Jersey’s consumers will have a choice of who provides their cable television service. However, there is more work to be done to ensure the full benefit of this telecommunications revolution is endowed upon the state’s economy. Thanks to a law signed by Gov. Jon Corzine in August, New Jersey’s cable giants—-among them Comcast, Cablevision and Time Warner—-will have to shape up and fly right. Gone are the days of skyrocketing cable rates and half-days off of work to wait for the cable guy. We can expect cable rates to drop immediately by as much as 16 per cent, and the incumbent monopolies will have to polish their service to consumers now that they will have some competition. Statewide savings in New Jersey are projected to average $229 million annually. Achieving consumer choice in video services in New Jersey was a long and hard battle. The cable companies deployed an army of high-priced lobbyists and others to push back an attempt to eliminate the requirement that providers of video services - cable television companies and traditional telephone companies - have to obtain franchises in each and every community in which they would like to provide services. The law requiring those franchises dates back to the 1970’s, nearly an eternity in telecommunications time, and was intended to provide municipal oversight of what was then a newly emerging technology, cable television. Because technology always moves faster than the government, the well-intentioned law turned into a roadblock that stifled competition and reduced consumer choices. What it ultimately led to was a series of town-by-town monopolies held by cable companies. It led to ever-escalating monthly cable bills, frustrating service and limited options. When Governor Corzine signed Senator Joe Doria’s bill, he put an abrupt end to the cable companies’ 30-year monopoly. Signing that bill meant the beginning of new choices for consumers and new jobs for thousands of skilled workers in New Jersey. The first new entrant into the market is Verizon which has already begun deployment of fiber optic networks throughout the state and plans to offer video services to 3.5 million New Jersey residents by 2008. Surely they will not be the only new parties tossing their hat in the ring. We can expect significant investment from other nationwide communications companies, and perhaps even small independent specialty providers will pop up. Additionally, incumbent cable companies will be freed from their traditional boundaries and can expand to new markets. It is an exciting time to be a consumer and worker in New Jersey. Verizon has already added over 1,000 new jobs to rollout their services and promises to invest $1.5 billion in their fiber network. Not only will this create jobs and pour cash into the state, but this upgrading of technological infrastructure will pay dividends for years to come. All of this is, of course, overwhelmingly positive for New Jersey. But it is only one battle; there is still a war to be won in the U.S. Senate for a national franchise system which would open markets across the country and offer video choice to all Americans. New businesses will be attracted to New Jersey only if these interstate areas have a well-developed technological base. Tens of thousands of new jobs created in these markets by Video Choice will undoubtedly be filled by New Jersey residents and my union brothers. Telecom reform can create good, long-term jobs and keep New Jersey on the cutting edge of new technology. Federal telecom reform is the perfect compliment to our state legislation and must be passed into law this session. Hopefully, the US Senate will heed the call and help New Jersey’s families and workers. Charles Marciante Business Manager, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 269, N.J. So why would that benefit New Jersey? Because our state’s economy doesn’t end at our borders. In fact, most of our state’s population lives and works in Metropolitan areas like New York City, Philadelphia and Wilmington. As long as the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware are without this revolutionary reform, we will not be enjoying the full effect of video choice. . Verizon’s investment in fiber technology is likely to be copied by other telecommunications giants. It would be in everyone’s best interests if they would follow Verizon’s lead in working closely with organized labor to ensure that new telecom networks are reliable. Consumer frustration with cable television stems from service that has been undependable and erratic. Such spotty performance is indicative of the training and the expertise of the workforce these non-union companies have too often used to build and support their systems.