Bill Would Allow Telecomm Businesses to Compete with Cable Television
TRENTON – Senator Joseph V. Doria, Jr., D-Hudson, the sponsor of legislation which would amend the State’s Cable Television Act to allow telecomm companies and public utilities that provide for the transmission of video programming to compete in the television service market in New Jersey, issued the following statement on the bill’s approval today in the Senate by a vote of 27-7:
“Today, the values of a free market are set to prevail over closed-system television service. We are introducing a level of competition that has been completely unheard of up to this point in regards to the television service industry.
“Competition will mean drastic reductions in TV service costs, as telecomm TV begins to aggressively court new subscribers, and cable providers follow suit to maintain a healthy customer base. The driving factor on TV service costs will not be what providers can get away with, but rather, what competition will create.
“Allowing telecomm companies to compete in TV service will also translate to economic success for the State of New Jersey. Over the course of seven years, Verizon has already committed to spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the Garden State and creating thousands of jobs as it builds out its system throughout New Jersey’s communities.
“Competition for our State’s TV services is a positive step that will be embraced in the years ahead. Free market will work, and New Jersey will be better off for it.”
The bill now heads to the Assembly for consideration. It was approved by the Senate Economic Growth Committee on Thursday.