What is the City doing to foster competition among cable companies operating on Bainbridge Island?

Federal Law and FCC regulations limit what the City can do to attract companies since the City must maintain parity between Comcast and potential other wireline cable television providers. For most companies, expanding onto Bainbridge Island would require major financial investment which could be financially unfeasible. There can be negative consequences to overbuilding, and as cord-cutting increases, those potential downsides also increase.

In accordance with Federal Law, the City drafts its cable franchise agreement to be non-exclusive. This means that other cable companies can choose to build out a cable system on Bainbridge Island, but building a cable network is expensive. Dish, and Direct TV are direct broadcast satellite providers and are available alternatives. Additionally, services such as Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix now provide alternatives to traditional cable service.

Show All Answers

1. What is a franchise agreement?
2. What benefits do residents receive from the current franchise agreement?
3. Cable prices vary significantly between Bainbridge Island and other areas of the country. What can the City do to reduce this variation?
4. What can the City do to improve the quality of cable services provided by Comcast?
5. What is the City doing to foster competition among cable companies operating on Bainbridge Island?
6. Does the franchise agreement address tree trimming?
7. Does the franchise agreement address broadband internet access service offered by Comcast?