Comcast spends year getting ready to offer local service

LACONIA — Officials in Laconia and Gilford approved cable television franchise agreements with Comcast last January, but one year later, the company has yet to hook up its first customer in either community.

Comcast spokesman Marc Goodman said the company has been busy building the necessary infrastructure, including design work, completion of a hub in Belmont, and the application process and physical work needed to string cable on utility poles.

Its franchise agreement states that it will make cable service substantially available within 18 months from the start of construction.

Goodman said Comcast looks forward to offering the service in the months ahead, but he didn’t give an exact time estimate.

Comcast representative Tim Kelly told the City Council on Jan. 14, 2019, that it was in the company’s interest to offer cable service as soon as possible.

Comcast obtained a franchise in Rochester in December 2017 and started hooking up customers in July 2018.

“In Rochester, we were able to attack it fairly aggressively,” Kelly said. “The quicker we can do it, the better off it’s going to be for residents, your constituents, but also for us to begin to generate a return.”

While the franchise agreement is for cable television, Comcast also offers Internet, telephone, and wireless service.

Part of the Comcast agreement with Laconia was a one-time payment of $10,000 that can be used by the city to develop a local emergency notification system. Comcast also will pay the city $9,600 annually, or $96,000 over the life of the 10-year contract.

Atlantic Broadband also has a franchise for cable television service in the area.

Each company offers cable television services for about $60 per month for an introductory period, according to their websites. Rates are subject to increase after that period elapses.