Tci Introduces Digital Cable In Seven More States

TeleCommunications Inc., fueled by the success of its digital cable-television rollout in Denver, quietly began selling its new product in eight more markets in seven other states.

Markets where local cable systems began taking orders Tuesday include Buffalo, N.Y., the largest market to date after Denver; Carlsbad and Davis, Calif.; Bainbridge, Ga.; South Bend, Ind.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Scottsbluff, Neb.; and Cheyenne, Wyo.

TCI is on “a very aggressive” schedule, expecting to add additional markets in each week through the end of the year, said LaRae Marsik, spokeswoman for the Englewood, Colo.-based company.

Spokane should be among those communities, said local Marketing Director Alison Ruckhaber.

Digital technology, which compresses broadcast signals into a series of zeros and ones, allows cable TV operators to provide clearer sound and pictures, competing with satellite TV companies, which transmit to customers’ homes through a specially installed receiver dish.

Digital cable arrived in TCI’s home market of Denver two weeks ago.

The company is using a “soft launch” approach, relying on word of mouth and local news reports rather than a massive marketing campaign to introduce the service.

“We don’t see a whole lot on marketing until after the first of the year,” Marsik said.

The company declined to disclose any sales figures for Denver.

TCI, the largest U.S. cable TV operator is offering a package of 36 digitally transmitted channels for about $10, sold on top of existing cable programming packages. By early next year, the company plans to market digital cable service to about 9 million of its 14.1 million customers, using set-top control boxes from NextLevel Systems Inc.

Denver customer-service workers were overwhelmed Nov. 14, the first day orders were accepted, said Margaret LeJuste, spokeswoman for TCI of Colorado.

Orders are being filled in two days to two weeks, depending on where customers live, LeJuste said.

, DataTimes