Comcast cable contract to go before DeKalb County Board

SYCAMORE – A renewed cable television franchise agreement between Comcast and DeKalb County will go before the DeKalb County Board next week, almost three years after the last agreement expired.

A public hearing on the new agreement, which would grant Comcast nonexclusive authority to construct and operate a cable system in the public ways of DeKalb County for 10 years, was held Wednesday.

DeKalb County Administrator Brian Gregory said the agreement defines how Comcast can install and maintain high speed internet infrastructure.

“The agreement really covers how a right-of-way can be used,” Gregory said. “It ensures that there’s a path to make that connectivity. So that’s one of the big parts of the franchise agreement.”

According to the contract, DeKalb County will collect a franchise fee of 5% Comcast’s gross revenue – the maximum allowed by the Cable Act. If the percentage is raised, the county will be allowed to increase the fee with the holding of a public hearing.

Comcast’s Chicago area manager of government and regulatory affairs, Joan Sage, said the renewed agreement – a contract DeKalb County first awarded to Warner Cable Communications in 1990 – allows Comcast to continue to create cabled telecommunication infrastructure in unincorporated areas of DeKalb County.

“A simple way of looking at the franchise [agreement] is our permit to do business,” Sage said. “It’s our permit to go into your easements so that we can provided services to your residents.”

Connect Illinois grants could allow the telecommunication company to expand internet access to most rural areas of the county that remain without reliable cable-internet access. Comcast is waiting to hear if it will be awarded funding for the expansion. When asked, Sage said the company couldn’t commit to the project without the government dollars.

“At this point, it’s not budgeted to do so [expand into rural areas of DeKalb County],” Sage said. “That could happen. Right now, we’re waiting to see what we’re going to be spending in a match. Then we’ll see what could happen, if or if not.”

Sage said DeKalb County will be “really well covered” with high speed internet access if Comcast is awarded the grant funding by the state, but waffled when pressed by a member of the public.

Sage said the county would be completely covered if the grants are awarded in their entirety.