Comcast picks Calaveras to try new technology
By Vanessa Turner
Sunday, May 22, 2005 5:55 PM CDT
Calaveras County Comcast Cable customers will soon be the first group in the country to experience the cable company's new all-digital technology.
Comcast will be contacting its "expanded basic" and "digital service" customers in Wallace, San Andreas, Valley Springs and Mokelumne Hill to schedule a visit to come out and install a new box, which houses the new technology.
Basic cable customers will not be affected.
The new box is about the size of a cigar box and brings new services, which include Comcast On Demand, a video on demand service with a new children's network and improved parental controls, according to Comcast representative Susan Gonzales. Eighty percent of the content is free.
Gonzales is working on getting the word out about the trial. There are 7,100 customers in the county, of which 2,000 will be affected.
But also, Comcast digital customers in Calaveras County that are outside the trial area will be given Comcast On Demand by the end of summer.
"Every customer is getting some new service," Farrell Moseley, Comcast Central Valley manager, said.
Trial implementation is set to begin on or after July 5 and will be complete by fall 2005.
Calaveras County was selected by the company for a test run because of its demographics, according to Moseley.
"Calaveras beat out Half Moon Bay," Moseley said. "Calaveras has a good cross section of the nation. Also, there's a large interest in advanced services."
Moseley also said that Calaveras has strong leadership in its county supervisors and citizens.
Comcast laid the groundwork for carrying the new technology back in 2003 after taking over AT&T's cable operations in 2002. It upgraded the cable system to a larger bandwidth to accommodate the additional services it wanted to bring into the area.
Those services, aside from Comcast on Demand, are high definition television (HDTV) and digital video recording, which will be available for customers in the trial area for $9.95.
What this means for customers in the affected areas, is they need the new technology to continue receiving Comcast Cable, Gonzales said. There's no additional charge but customers need to convert or they will be watching "snow."
"Expanded basic" and "digital service" customers in the affected areas will receive up to three boxes for free. Beyond that, there would be a $1.99 per month charge.
Once the new technology is installed, Comcast will conduct customer surveys to rate their satisfaction. The company will then determine the best way to offer its expanded services to other customers in Calaveras.
A demonstration van will be touring Valley Springs June 2 displaying the Comcast on Demand service.
By Vanessa Turner
Sunday, May 22, 2005 5:55 PM CDT
Calaveras County Comcast Cable customers will soon be the first group in the country to experience the cable company's new all-digital technology.
Comcast will be contacting its "expanded basic" and "digital service" customers in Wallace, San Andreas, Valley Springs and Mokelumne Hill to schedule a visit to come out and install a new box, which houses the new technology.
Basic cable customers will not be affected.
The new box is about the size of a cigar box and brings new services, which include Comcast On Demand, a video on demand service with a new children's network and improved parental controls, according to Comcast representative Susan Gonzales. Eighty percent of the content is free.
Gonzales is working on getting the word out about the trial. There are 7,100 customers in the county, of which 2,000 will be affected.
But also, Comcast digital customers in Calaveras County that are outside the trial area will be given Comcast On Demand by the end of summer.
"Every customer is getting some new service," Farrell Moseley, Comcast Central Valley manager, said.
Trial implementation is set to begin on or after July 5 and will be complete by fall 2005.
Calaveras County was selected by the company for a test run because of its demographics, according to Moseley.
"Calaveras beat out Half Moon Bay," Moseley said. "Calaveras has a good cross section of the nation. Also, there's a large interest in advanced services."
Moseley also said that Calaveras has strong leadership in its county supervisors and citizens.
Comcast laid the groundwork for carrying the new technology back in 2003 after taking over AT&T's cable operations in 2002. It upgraded the cable system to a larger bandwidth to accommodate the additional services it wanted to bring into the area.
Those services, aside from Comcast on Demand, are high definition television (HDTV) and digital video recording, which will be available for customers in the trial area for $9.95.
What this means for customers in the affected areas, is they need the new technology to continue receiving Comcast Cable, Gonzales said. There's no additional charge but customers need to convert or they will be watching "snow."
"Expanded basic" and "digital service" customers in the affected areas will receive up to three boxes for free. Beyond that, there would be a $1.99 per month charge.
Once the new technology is installed, Comcast will conduct customer surveys to rate their satisfaction. The company will then determine the best way to offer its expanded services to other customers in Calaveras.
A demonstration van will be touring Valley Springs June 2 displaying the Comcast on Demand service.