The City of Fort Collins is hosting a Comcast Franchise Agreement and Broadband Strategic Plan open house to update citizens on these two separate projects.
Residents are invited to drop-in at their convenience between 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, May 4 at the CIC Room in City Hall, 300 Laporte Ave.
Staff will be on hand to explain the difference between these two separate projects, provide updates and answer questions.
City Council is slated to review the final Comcast Franchise Agreement on May 19. The City has a non-exclusive cable franchise agreement in effect with the local subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. It became effective on March 17, 2006 and expires on July 31, 2015, pending Council’s approval on second reading. With the pending expiration of the current franchise agreement, Comcast has been working with the City to renew the franchise agreement.
The Broadband Strategic Plan is in its preliminary introduction phase. The project is scheduled to start in early June.
Broadband often refers to Internet access that is always on and provides faster access speeds. Broadband Internet access can often be provided by cable TV providers and may be referred to as a “classic” broadband system.
Broadband users can access such services as internet, streaming media, internet phone (VoIP), gaming, TV and interactive services via a digital subscription, cable modem, fiber, wireless, satellite or broadband over power lines (BPL).
In accordance with FCC regulations, the City’s Comcast franchise cannot regulate internet, VoIP, streaming services, gaming and satellite services.