Vermont PUC Weighs Comcast Settlement in Cable Franchise Dispute

The Vermont Public Utilities Commission is reviewing a Comcast settlement with the state and the Vermont Access Network, “and will act on it as soon as practicable,” a PUC spokesperson emailed Tuesday. The agreement would resolve a case on the legality of the PUC's requiring the company in a cable franchise agreement to build 550 miles of new cable and enhance support for public, educational and government channels (see 1811210035). Comcast’s Vermont PEG channels would be reassigned to a dedicated public access channel neighborhood, so access management organizations have program listings on all guides that Comcast makes available, with the same functionality as other channels, including voice remote location and programmability, said a joint petition dated Sept. 6 in docket 8301. The pact paves the way for a statewide high-definition PEG channel by 2021, alternative means of providing remote origination sites for PEG programming, and additional funding for public access channel reassignments and equipment for the HD channel. Comcast would build a minimum of 350 miles of additional lines of cable, maintain existing PEG remote origination sites and reasonably accommodate requests for new sites. Parties will ask to dismiss with prejudice all claims in the federal court case at U.S. District Court in Rutland.