Cable, Internet Groups Square Off Service Providers Demand Tci Share High-Speed Networks

The business interests of Internet service providers and cable companies intersected at a public hearing Wednesday night in the Spokane City Council chambers.

At issue were the conflicting visions of how consumers should be able to gain high-speed access to the Internet over cable lines.

Internet companies want to make use of the swift networks owned by cable companies, saying if they remain closed, consumers will be robbed of choice by giant cable monopolies.

Not wasting an opportunity to share their view in public, close to 100 Internet supporters turned out Wednesday, some wearing shirts that read: “Demand your Internet freedom” and “It’s my Internet.”

TCI of Spokane, now owned by AT&T, has said that it’s the one that has taken financial risks to build cable networks and should not have to give outside corporations a ride.

In a hearing that lasted more than three hours, nine members of the Spokane City-County Cable Advisory Board heard testimony on almost every cable-Internet topic on the map.

In previous sessions, the board made clear the intent of Wednesday night’s meeting was to gather information, not to make a quick policy recommendation.

For the last five months, Internet On Ramp of Spokane, owned by California-based Internet Ventures, has lobbied the city and county, trying to convince officials that TCI should have to open pieces of its network to Internet service providers (ISPs).

A complaint filed against TCI by the two companies spurred Wednesday’s hearing.

While the national dog fight between cable companies and ISPs has centered on “open access” - meaning cable businesses choke high speed competition and should therefore be open to all - the issue in front of the Spokane Cable Advisory Board is unique.

On Ramp is arguing that ISPs qualify for “leased access” rights.

By law, cable companies have to lease some of their channels to outside programmers - such as infomercial makers. And On Ramp contends that Internet-video shows are so fast when passed over cable - 100 times faster than standard dial-up connections - that ISPs behave much like video programmers be cause customers can choose to watch Internet TV shows.

On Ramp has taken its case to the Federal Communications Commission, too. The FCC is expected to rule on the ISP-leased access question by the end of summer or later.

Don Janke, president of Internet Ventures, said, “The Internet has grown up to be video,” citing agreements that film studios are making to show movies online.

Ken Watts, TCI’s general manager in Spokane, maintained “Internet access is not video programming,” and has said TCI will challenge any government move to open its cable lines to ISPs, as it already has done in Portland.

Locally, On Ramp offers a high-speed Web link called Perkinet; similar to TCI’s fast Excite At Home service.

TCI has signed up about 225 subscribers for its Excite At Home service. About 30 percent of Spokane residents are eligible. The company is in the process of spending more than $20 million to upgrade its Spokane infrastructure.

Watts said if cable companies are forced to make room for ISPs, other cable programming would have to be eliminated.

He added the company would have little incentive to make local network improvements if the political climate became unfavorable for cable businesses.