Wednesday, November 25, 2020

NUconnect to increase TV rates
The Newport Utilities Board meeting Tuesday, was told by General Manager Mike Williford that the lobby of the administrative offices will remain clo0sed until probably next summer. The move is aimed at protecting employees and customers during the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Calhoun, Broadband Manager, reported that 1,571 customers are still awaiting NUConnect service. He said the bidding for federal government funding through the Rural Development Opportunity Fund auction for federal funds. NU bid on 23 areas which if they had been accepted would have meant a total of $18,870,000 in funding to expand broadband in the local community. "It has been an unmitigated failure for us. We have only been awarded five groups, totaling $159,492. Each serves only five to 10 residential customers. Someone was bidding against us, but we don't know who." He said NUConnect is still trying for a total of $1.8 million for buildouts in Del Rio and Rocky Flats. The winning bidders will be required to offer fiber to residents in those areas within six years. Williford said efforts will continue to build-out NU broadband. "We will have to apply for grants but grants won't be available for those areas because of these recent grants. We want everybody to have broadband it doesn't matter if it comes from us or somebody else." The board also accepted the low bid of $126,000 to construct a wireless broadband site in Edwina. The general manager reported that NUConnect lost $86,000 during the last month and $349,000 year-to-date. Members approved a rate adjustment for NUconnect Television Services. The rate adjustment was made to cover the increased cost of retransmission fees paid to local TV channels. Corporate Communications Manager Sharon Kyser said cable operators must pay TV stations for the right to retransmit, their signals. "Newport Utilities is committed to negotiating the best rates for the programming our customers want," Kyser said. "We negotiate in good faith but the process has gotten more difficult over the years as broadcasters look to maximize their income from cable providers." For 2021, Newport Utilities experienced a 26% increase in broadcast retransmission fees for its NUconnect TV service. As a result, the retransmission consent fee will increase by $5.15 per month for all NUconnect TV subscribers, effective January 15, 2021. Kyser added that while it is necessary to increase the cost of NUconnect TV due to the demands of the TV stations, there will be no increase in cost for NUconnect High-Speed Internet or telephone services at this time.


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