Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania

NewsClips

May 21, 2014

Atlantic Broadband has announced that new and existing customers in Bradford, Warren and Clearfield now have access to its full suite of digital and entertainment offerings, to include Video On Demand and Netflix. Through the new TiVo service through Atlantic Broadband, new and existing customers can now rent movies and programming on their home television, access Netflix content by simply clicking on Channel 824 and enjoy the expanded options for live, recorded and On Demand TV and web content on any screen, wherever they are.

Officials said Atlantic Broadband's recent partnership with Netflix enables customers to find and watch the best shows and movies from Netflix through the new set-top TiVo box. For customers who upgrade to the new TiVo service, the Netflix App will be fully integrated into the service distributed by Atlantic Broadband to residents. The Netflix partnership eliminates the complexity of multiple boxes, remote controls, input ports and cables and delivers the Netflix experience to the coveted "biggest screen in the home," creating a home-viewing experience that is both simple and enjoyable.

"Bringing Video On Demand, TiVo and Netflix to Clearfield, Warren and Bradford residents is the next step in our commitment to deliver ongoing digital upgrades to these communities," said Atlantic Broadband's chief marketing and strategy officer David Isenberg. "In addition to the availability of fast Internet, TV and phone, residential customers will now also have access to the new TiVo service from Atlantic Broadband which includes the ability to also watch Netflix directly on their TV sets, on Channel 824." Bradford Era

The nation's top telecommunications regulator on Tuesday defended his plan to regulate how broadband providers treat content traveling over their networks, telling lawmakers the agency would stop any deals that put smaller companies or consumers at a disadvantage.

Tuesday's hearing before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee was the first public appearance for Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler since the commission voted on Thursday to open his broadband rules up for public comment. Mr. Wheeler was adamant that his proposal wouldn't allow the Internet to be divided between haves and have-nots. "There is one Internet. Everybody ought to have open, equal access to the capacity delivered by the Internet," Mr. Wheeler said.

Mr. Wheeler's plan would ban broadband providers from blocking or slowing down websites, but allow them to strike deals with content companies for preferential treatment, such as faster speeds. The proposal can still be changed before a final vote later this year. Mr. Wheeler has said his plan is the fastest way to implement rules to protect websites against blocking or other unfair discrimination. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were eager to tell Mr. Wheeler why his approach went too far or not far enough. Mr. Wheeler acknowledged the tough spot the commission is in, by pointing to the outpouring of news reports and letters urging the agency in two opposite directions on net neutrality. "One is that you should not do anything, the other is that you should go all the way and it should be regulated as a utility," Mr. Wheeler said.

The notion of reclassifying broadband as a utility, which Mr. Wheeler opened up for debate as part of his proposal, was particularly divisive. The panel's Republicans blasted the idea as an attempt to regulate the Internet in the same manner as the landline phone network. "The Internet has flourished under the current light touch regulatory scheme, and subjecting it to burdensome regulations is a leap in the wrong direction," said Rep. Fred Upton (R., Mich.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. "Contrary to any intended effect, the reclassification of broadband...will harm consumers, halt job creation, curtail innovation and stifle investment," said Rep. Greg Walden (R., Ore.), chairman of the communications and technology subcommittee that held the hearing.

Panel Democrats were worried that Mr. Wheeler's net-neutrality proposal wouldn't prevent broadband providers from dividing the Internet into fast and slow lanes. Mr. Wheeler responded by promising to police the deals closely on a case-by-case basis and vowing that he wouldn't allow anything that disadvantages companies that don't pay up, or consumers in rural areas. Rep. Doris Matsui (D., Calif.) called for the FCC to ban paid deals but said the agency might not have the authority to do so without reclassifying broadband as a utility, something telecom lawyers have argued. "I support a ban on paid prioritization deals. We can't afford a two-tiered Internet system," Ms. Matsui said.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) told Mr. Wheeler to use reclassification of broadband as a way to ensure the FCC's net-neutrality rules aren't struck down in court for the third time. "You don't have to choose between weak rules and a weak legal case. You can issue strong rules and have a strong legal case," Mr. Waxman said. Several panel Democrats also pointed to the recent wave of consolidation in the telecom industry, and specifically called for hearings on Comcast Corp.'s bid to acquire Time Warner Cable Inc. and AT&T Inc.'s $49 billion bid for DirecTV. Mr. Wheeler pledged to scrutinize the mergers closely to ensure they were in the public interest. Wall Street Journal; more in Politico

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