7.1 SR 08-01-2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Basic Cable Information Cable television is regulated through federal and state la`v, along �uith a local franchise agreement thYough the Cityr of Elk RiveY. Federal law also Yequires franchise agreements be non-exclusive which means no city mayT grant an exclusive franchise to anyT one companyT. A franchise agreement allows a cable companyT to operate cable television in the cityT and run-on fiber line in cityT owned right-of-way. The cityr collects fees as compensation for the cable company's use of opeYating their syTstems in our right-of-`vayT. For manyT yTears most cities have not seen more than one provider mainlyT due to the expense to construct infrastructure throughout a cityT. With technology changes more telephone companies, particularlyT in rural areas, are adding video to their service packages. Sherburne Wright Cable Commission Elk River is part of the Sherburne Wright Cable Commission, a joint powers organization that oversees the operation of the cities' cable franchise. Ten cities are part of the commission. The commission meets as needed, and acts on behalf of the member cities to enforce and administer their franchises and monitor the overall performance of the cable franchisee, which can include handling customer service issues, the companyT's use of the public right-of-wayT, and equipment and channel issues. Elk River has a 15-year franchise agreement with Charter Communications (Spectrum). Via the franchise agreement, the city receives certain benefits to transparently communicate with the communityT, and includes: ■ Channels to use for programming. ■ Dedicated fiber to help connect government facilities to video and data services. ■ PEG (Public, Educational, and Government) and franchise fees. ■ ComplimentaryT basic cable service to certain public safetyT facilities. ■ Allo`ving residents to receive cable TV and other technologyT service from Charter. The franchise pertains on1yT to the cable television services. Per federal law, the cityT does not have any role in the regulation of the cable companyr's inteYnet or telephone services. InteYnet concerns are addressed byT Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and phone services to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The federal government has substantially deregulated the cable industryT with the intent of encouraging competition in the cable, telephone, and internet arenas and is continuing to change as technologyT changes. As a result, the cityT's franchising authorityT is limited in what it can review. The cityT cannot regulate cable pricing, programming, or equipment to be used by the cable operator. Complaints received byT the cityT consist of fiber lines run over propertyT, tyTpicallyT during winteY/spring as the snow melts. The local cable office is contracted to remedy the issues. Common complaints seen online are t�rpicall�T about internet speeds, which the cit�T has no authorit�r to regulate.