After a year's hype cable television now has serious competition. All last year the phone company ran ads claiming that once a new law was passed the Citizens of Wisconsin would be on easy street. A bill was in the works that would allow phone companies to provide television without paying a franchise fee to local governments. The claim was that new competition would force the cable operators to quit gouging us and lower prices. It was implied that the phone company would enter the market with significantly cheaper rates for equal service. Every day the broadcast commercials told us to contact our legislators and demand that the new law be passed. How nice it would be to actually pay fair prices for video service.
The law was passed. Anyone (in the Milwaukee area) can now sign up with AT&T and bring in video programs over the phone lines. But guess what. Their rates are basically the same as the cable operator. Poof....suddenly the commercials no longer talk about lower rates but instead focus on an old woman watching TV in an odd-shaped bed.
Oh, by the way, my TV bills have increased. So much for the benefits of competition!
