Topic: A Power Play is now Going on.. with AT&T and the City Of Jacksonville

[Buggyman]

Boy this gets funnier by the minute.. I have two articals to post.. so read and enjoy!  
This one was Yesterday....

City: AT&T Broadband Will Delay Rate Hike
Company Tells City They Will Negotiate Over Problems

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- City leaders announced Wednesday afternoon that AT&T Broadband has agreed to delay the price increase announced over the weekend, and will negotiate with the city to compensate customers for recent customer service and billing problems.
One year after customer complaints about Jacksonville's cable TV provider soared,
How's AT&T Doing?  
 Council President Matt Carlucci also said the city was aggressively pursuing avenues that would allow Jacksonville television customers an alternative to the cable television monopoly.
Carlucci said they cable franchise is nearing their last strike, but "I think there is wisdom in dialogue, and trying to solve the problem." Carlucci said.

Mayor John Delaney said he was shocked when he read AT&T's full-page ad announcing the new, higher prices.

"When I picked up Saturday's paper, I was fried. Dumbfounded," Delaney said.

Carlucci said he was also shocked when getting a call Friday that the rate increase would be announced publicly the next day.

"I had worked hard ... to build a bridge, to build a relationship, to try to solve the problem," Carlucci said. "We're even asking for perfection. But you like to at least have good-faith effort, and we haven't been getting that."

Apparently the city and the cable giant still aren't are speaking the same language. Late Wednesday, the company released a statement to Channel 4, saying "One of the options being discussed is AT&T agreeing to postpone its rate increase. And since those discussions have not come to final resolution, it would not be advisable for us to provide further comment."

Telecommunications committee chairwoman Dr. Gwen Chandler-Thompson would spearhead negotiations with the cable television franchise for payment for past and existing breaches of service, and to revise contract terms with specific payments for future problems.

"I love a good a good challenge," Chandler-Thompson said. "We have our work cut out."

Longer term, a second committee of government leaders will study the feasibility of the city laying fiber-optics lines throughout the county that could be utilized by a competing cable television company.

"The attorney general's broadening investigation (of AT&T') is really a separate matter, and the city will continue to cooperate fully with that," Carlucci said.

More on the next post...

[Buggyman]

Todays.. artical....

AT&T, City's War Of Words Continues
Cable Company Responds To City Leaders' 'Agreement'
Posted: 5:26 p.m. EDT June 6, 2002

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It was major news conference, called by City Council President Matt Carlucci and Mayor John Delaney. They had some big news: The rate hike for AT&T Broadband would be put on hold indefinitely.
But just three hours later, the cable company issued a statement that basically said "not so fast."

"It's kind of a stunner. I had a conversation with their statewide president Monday night, at that was the deal," Delaney said Thursday. "Matt Carlucci had the exact same conversation a day or so earlier. I don't know. I don't know what's next."



 One year after customer complaints about Jacksonville's cable TV provider soared,
How's AT&T Doing?  


"I thought they would postpone their rate increase, which they agreed to, and we would sit down and talk with them," Carlucci said.
Late Thursday, AT&T's senior vice president sent a letter to the city, saying in part:


"I had stated during a conversation last Friday with Mr. Carlucci and on Monday with Mayor Delaney that we were willing to entertain a request of the City to delay the rate increase as part of our commitment to good faith settlement discussions with the City. We receive no request from the City prior to your press conference.
"That being said, we remain committed to resolving these issues on an amicable and expedited basis with the City. We remain willing to delay the rate increase for a time certain, subject to arriving at a mutually agreeable settlement with the City."

-- Ellen Filipiak

Carlucci told Channel 4's Brad Puffer they never agreed to settle anything, only to talk.

"I think they are losing credibility. The more back and forth it goes, the more credibility they lose," he said.

Jacksonville taxpayers and AT&T Broadband customers can't believe what's happened.

"To embarrass the mayor and city councilmen ... I mean that's just poor form," one man said. "That are shooting themselves in the foot."

"Once again, AT&T is calling all the shots. I don't understand what kind of power the city has," a woman told Channel 4.

And that's the problem. The city says they don't have enough leverage to force the cable company to improve, but almost a year after customer complaints began to rise, the city keeps trying.

"We are still going to talk to some City Council and talk about next step," Delaney said. "Right now, I don't know."

And the saga continues.. I think it's hillarious!

[inside_attbi]

Typical we're the only game in town, like it or not. It's pretty much the same in most AT&T markets. That's probly the reason that Jacksonville will be migrated onto the ATTBI network in July. You will probly see a jump in customer service with this migration as far as the internet goes, but I'm not totally sure we will be doing the support for the cable TV too. After reading all those articles, I hope not )

inside_attbi

[Buggyman]

Well .. I'm not sure what you mean about the migration part.
The two side are still pointing fingers at each other.
I will say this... the Franchis contract with the City state that the Take over by another Company Must be approve by our City Council. That being the case.. if Comcast approve the merger next month and gets the approval from the goverment.. they need to Talk big and Fast here in Jacksonville. AT&T has not made it any easier for Comcast.
I will point out that IF the Price Increase goes through then that will make Satlilight TV about the same price per month.
As you see with AT&T record here.. that's not good.
You know all this is affecting them.. because two days after they anounce the price increase. they sent out a mailer offering 1 free month Cable if you sign up a friend.
Satillight comapanys have been REAL busy this past week.
People are tire of it all.
I'm hanging on.. because I know the less people on my node.. the better my Cable connection will be!  

[inside_attbi]

right now, i believe that Jacksonville is still technically the AT&T roadrunner network. In the coming months that will be migrating over to the ATTBI network. Then the tech support should get much better because the calls will come into a good call center. If AT&T keeps up with the only game in town mentality, they will lose tons of customers and then maybe they will wake up.

inside_attbi

[Buggyman]

inside_attbi,
Admittitly the Internet game is not a factor in this because the alternative is DSL by Bellsouth and Satillight (I forgot who) and they both cost more by almost 20 buck a month alone.
But the TV end is something else.. You only have two choices.... Cable or Satlilight and while the Satlilight is about 10 bucks a month more.. you do have signal losses. Not much .. but enought to drive you nuts. Not to mention my neightbor can't get it because of too many trees in the way.