Spotlight: MI-Connection vs. Ma Bell

AT&T announced this week that it will begin offering its U-verse IPTV service in the Charlotte, N.C. area, which may sound like just another in a long list of market launches. However, Davidson, N.C.'s DavidsonNews.net offers a detailed local view of the potential competitive battle developing between AT&T and MI-Connection, a cable TV and Internet provider serving 16,000 customers, and operated by the towns of Mooresville and Davidson. The municipalities bought the former Adelphia system last year from Time Warner Cable.

AT&T said last year it would invest $350 million to upgrade its North Carolina network. Meanwhile, Davidson and Mooresville have initiated a $22.5 million upgrade to their network, and also plan to offer voice next year to compete against AT&T and other service providers. Can the local cable venture contend with U-Verse TV features like Total Home DVR? Or will customer loyalty to the local hero keep AT&T IPTV success to a minimum in these markets?

For more:
- DavidsonNews.net has this story

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