When Will AT&T and EPB Compete Against Comcast?

Competition breeds lower prices in business and that's what you can expect in the coming months from your television provider. Over the last couple of months you've heard about AT&T and EPB trying to compete against Comcast, but when will it affect you?

If you currently subscribe to cable in Tennessee pretty soon you're going to have option on who brings you your favorite newscast or any other programs - that's because Comcast, EPB, and AT&T will all be competing for your business.

You may have noticed more than just Comcast trucks hitting the streets recently.

"You can see EPB crews now hanging fiber for our smart grid that same fiber will also enable these other communications services and yes, we'll be in your neighborhoods after the first of the year," Katie Epeseth, with EPB, says.

That means EPB will compete directly against Comcast in five months.

A spokesman for Comcast says "Comcast will continue to offer the advanced broadband products and services that our customers expect."

But earlier this year Tennessee legislators helped clear the way for other Corporations to compete against Comcast. ATT continued their quest for competition by applying for a video franchise with the Tennessee Regulatory Authority today. The company plans to invest nearly $400 million dollars in Tennessee.

"It's not cable, we think it's way cooler than cable cause it has more flexible and works differently, it's internet protocal based," Patsy Hazelwood, with AT&T, says.

Patsy Hazelwood says ATT is upgrading offices, adding fiber to their network, and building a video distribution network, and hopes to start offering a product in the next two years.

"Yes, customers included in the areas of the filing with in twenty four months we don't have any specifics than that at this point, we don't have a specific timeline that we're sharing," Hazelwood says.

But no matter what the timeline, Comcast will be sharing the market sooner than later.

"Well we think this is very exciting for EPB but we think it's even more exciting for the community," Epeseth says.

Comcast and satellite providers already offer cable television.