AT&T Takes U-verse TV to Mid-Ohio
Telco Takes on Time Warner and Other Cable Providers
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 12/16/2007 11:17:00 PM
AT&T is taking orders for U-verse TV in parts of 51 communities surrounding Columbus, Ohio, and will start installing service for new customers on Christmas Eve, looking to poach subscribers from Time Warner Cable and others in the state's midsection.
The telco is touting a lineup of up to 320 regular channels and more than 40 high-definition channels, which AT&T said is more HD programming than its local cable competitors. In the mid-Ohio region, Time Warner Cable offers 19 HD channels (including premium movie channels), plus two HD video-on-demand channels.
In Columbus, AT&T is also highlighting its carriage of the Big Ten Network and NFL Network, two sports packages Time Warner has declined to carry on broad programming tiers.
Elsewhere in Ohio, AT&T offers U-verse TV in Cleveland and Akron. The phone company last week announced a target of making the Internet Protocol TV service available to 30 million homes by 2010, and executives said they expected more than 1 million U-verse TV subs by the end of 2008.
Limited-time U-verse TV signup promos in the Columbus region include free HD service for a year (normally $10 per month), $100 cash back or one month of free TV service for customers who order the U200, U300 or U400 programming packages by phone. The offers are valid until Jan. 31.
In November, AT&T became the first provider to be granted statewide video service authority under terms of Ohio’s new state franchising law. As a result of that legislation, according to AT&T, the company said it would invest $500 million throughout Ohio for fiber network upgrades and further broadband deployment.
In mid-Ohio, AT&T said U-verse services are available in the following local areas: Bexley, Blendon Township, Bloom Township, Brice, Brown Township, Canal Winchester, Clinton Township, Columbus, Concord Township, Dublin, Etna Township, Franklin Township, Gahanna, Genoa Township, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Groveport, Hamilton Township, Harlem Township, Harrison Township, Hilliard, Jackson Township, Jefferson Township, Liberty Township, Lithopolis, Madison Township, Marble Cliff, Mifflin Township, Minerva Park, New Albany, Norwich Township, Orange Township, Pataskala, Perry Township, Pickerington, Plain Township, Pleasant Township, Powell, Prairie Township, Reynoldsburg, Riverlea, Scioto Township, Sharon Township, Shawnee Hills, Truro Township, Upper Arlington, Violet Township, Washington Township, Westerville, Whitehall and Worthington.
