Sign in Subscribe
Telecommunications industry

Glendale Heights, Illinois, to be First in State to Have Ameritech Offer Cable TV Services

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Residents of Glendale Heights, a diverse community located about 30 miles west of Chicago, will have the option to receive their cable TV services from Ameritech, one of the world's largest communications companies. The new cable TV franchise agreement between the village and Ameritech was unanimously approved by the Glendale Heights Board of Trustees, marking Ameritech's first cable TV franchise in Illinois.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ameritech will invest more than $5 million to construct a two-way video communications network in Glendale Heights, which will be a state-of-the-art, separate from its phone network.
  • The company plans to offer an exciting package of cable TV programming and pay-per-view services, to be expanded over time to include interactive services such as home grocery shopping and games.
  • Ameritech will provide two channels for community and government programming and will exceed FCC customer service standards, guaranteeing service calls within 2-hour "appointment windows."
  • The village will receive 5 percent of gross revenues annually in franchise fees and an additional 0.5 percent for public access support.
  • Construction is expected to be completed in about 12 months, with minimal disruptions to residents' yards.
  • Ameritech has aggressive plans for building its new two-way video communications network and delivering an exciting alternative to existing cable TV services.

Statistics:

  • Over 80 channels will be available initially, to be expanded to more than 300 over the next couple years.
  • Ameritech serves more than 13 million customers, with over 1.5 million cellular and 700,000 paging customers.
  • The company operates in five states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • Ameritech has a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company, BellSouth, GTE, and SBC Communications to create programming and interactive services.

Sources:

  • PRNewswire, August 18
  • Glendale Heights Board of Trustees
  • Ameritech
  • The Walt Disney Company
  • BellSouth
  • GTE
  • SBC Communications

Read more