The turf battle between IPTV provider CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) and incumbent cable operator Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) just got a bit bigger. The Minneapolis City Council approved CenturyLink's franchise agreement giving the company the go-ahead to launch IPTV service in Minneapolis with the goal of blanketing the entire city with IPTV coverage within five years.
The Minneapolis market is just the latest city that CenturyLink has targeted for its Prism IPTV service that runs over the company's 1-Gig fiber-to-the-home network. The telco has cut similar deals in Portland, Ore., Omaha, Neb., and La Crosse, Wis.
CenturyLink plans to have its IPTV service available throughout 13 wards in the city in early June. The terms of the deal require the company to cover 15 percent of the city within the next two years. The company told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that pricing for its service has not yet been finalized.
Meanwhile, Comcast, which is the largest cable TV provider in the city, holds a franchise deal with Minneapolis until the end of 2021, according to the Star Tribune. Under that deal, Comcast must provide coverage to every home in the city.
Earlier this month, CenturyLink launched its Prism service in Portland, Ore., for a one-year promotional rate of around $60 a month, with prices jumping to $90 a month after that first year. Prism includes a wireless DVR set-top, multiscreen apps and access to a wide array of regional sports channels.
For more:
- see this Star Tribune article
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