Utility Commissioners Reject

AT&T Licensing

Hartford — On August 31, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) refused his request to immediately force AT&T to seek a cable license for its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service in order to ensure statewide competition in cable television.

Mr Blumenthal had requested DPUC action after a recent US District court ruling that IPTV is cable television — under federal law — requiring the company to obtain a state franchise for the service.

Despite the federal court ruling, the DPUC issued a decision released late last Friday refusing to require a cable license for AT&T. Because of AT&T’s attempt to fight the decision, the DPUC said in effect the federal court decision is not final.

Mr Blumenthal had asked the DPUC to prohibit AT&T from stopping IPTV service it already provides to existing customers in the state during the cable licensing process, but asked that it order the company to stop installing new IPTV facilities and signing up new customers until it has obtained a state cable television license.