NORWAY - Norway cable television customers will soon have the option of a triple play package.
That package includes Internet, phone and cable tv services for about $100 a month.
City council has approved a bond resolution at a price not to exceed $1.25 million. The funds will be used to upgrade to the city's cable television project, which includes this package.
City Manager Ray Anderson said there is a 45-day referendum period with this resolution. This is where the public can visit City Hall and get information on the bond resolution.
"This is a project that will make necessary improvements to the system so we can increase our capacity for adding channels and other services, such as Voice Over Internet protocol and will increase efficiency and performance on the Internet," Anderson said. "The bottom line - we are going to compete with the triple play market, such as Charter, AT&T."
Anderson said the city will be able to offer phone, Internet and cable tv services at a competitive rate.
"I think we will be extremely competitive with our rate," he said.
Currently, Norway cable television customers pay $32 for 50 stations.
"We anticipate for city residents they will have 74 channels for $40 with the upgrade. We also anticipate Internet (cable high speed Internet) will stay the same for $32 a month," Anderson said.
Anderson said the cable company will also have the opportunity to offer what he thinks is high performance packages on the Internet.
"The new offering, which will be well received, is unlimited local and long distance phone service through the Internet. It will be the low for what they will pay for - $30 or under. It won't be over $30 a month," Anderson said. "If you purchase all three packages, it will discount the total by $10. It will be $100 for all three services."
For customers who only purchase two of the three services, the discount will be $5.
Jim Bryner, chief technician for city of Norway CATV, said the reason the city can offer these rates is because they are teaming with Packerland Broadband, a division of Cable Constructors with 40 companies in Wisconsin.
"Instead of us investing $500,000 to $750,000 dollars in equipment, they are going to transport those services over to us and charge us per subscriber," Bryner said. "We do not have a large capital outlay."
This means by not purchasing but using equipment from Packerland allows the city to offer cheaper rates.
Unless a petition requesting a vote signed by not less than 10 percent of registered voters is filed, the revenue bonds will be issued without a vote of the electors.
The city goal is to have the services in place by June 1, 2009.
Anderson said the city does have a tentative television alignment in which residents can call City Hall and stop by to pick up.
This alignment includes Norway Township residents.
They will pay a few dollars more than city residents, he said.
In regards to all television stations' transition to digital television to take place next year, Anderson said the city cable has five stations - 3, 6, 10, 13 and 11 - they had to deal with.
"We have not yet made the transition. We will make the transition Nov. 1 to Nov. 15," Bryner said.
Lisa M. Hoffmann's e-mail address is lhoffmann@ironmountaindailynews.com.
