Franchise players

The battle over local video franchises is heating up on multiple fronts--at the federal level, the state level and the local level. At this point, it isn't even clear in whose jurisdiction the final decision will land.

The cable industry is fighting tooth and nail on all fronts, hoping to delay any telco entry into video by forcing the telcos through the tedious process of applying for franchises on a local basis, city by city, town by town, hamlet by hamlet, dimly lit block by dimly lit block.

The argument has been that changing the franchise process now would be unfair--but that's an argument that doesn't make sense. Requiring telcos to acquire video franchises on a local basis is the equivalent of requiring cable companies to install TDM switches in order to offer voice service.

Technology has provided a better way to offer voice, and cable companies are capitalizing on it. There is no reason why regulation can't evolve as well, and arguing otherwise is clearly serving only to slow competition in video that already exists in voice.

E-mail me at CWilson3@prismb2b.com.