Minneapolis takes a step toward cable competition

Minneapolis cable TV viewers are a step closer to having an alternative to Comcast.

A city council panel voted Monday to negotiate an agreement with CenturyLink, which wants to offer cable service to parts of the city.

But some Minneapolis officials are wary of the proposal. City Council Vice President Elizabeth Glidden is worried CenturyLink will pass over poor neighborhoods. And she complains the company hasn't provided enough information to allay those concerns.

"I think competition is a good thing, but we can't accept competition without any parameters that allow us to say we are even attempting to comply with state law and federal requirements," Glidden said.

Mike Bradley, an attorney advising the city, told the committee that Comcast's predecessors ran into financial trouble when the cable system was first created in the 1980s.

"The incumbent had immediate shortfalls when it built the system when it was the only cable operator," Bradley said. "It really shows how difficult it is to build out an entire cable system in a city, especially a city the size of Minneapolis."

CenturyLink argues it isn't bound by a state law requiring it to serve the entire city within five years. Comcast disputes that. CenturyLink has agreed to cover Minneapolis' legal costs if it gets sued over the issue.