New provider upgrading Dexter-area cable system

Business Today

DEXTER -- There's a new cable TV company in town -- New Wave Communications.

Tom Gleason of New Wave said the company is in the process of rebuilding the entire cable system in the area, a system that hasn't been upgraded since it was controlled by Enstar Cable years ago.

"We started installing the new cable in Bloomfield," said Amy McQueen, customer service representative at New Wave's Dexter office, "and we're currently working north of Dexter." McQueen said the Dexter office has been extremely busy lately, with about 100 customers a day either calling or coming in to inquire about the new service.

"There will be about 60 new channels on the expanded basic for $35.95 per month," said Gleason. "That adds up to over 20 extra channels at a price increase of about $5.

New Wave will be offering a smaller package that will feature the major networks, shopping and religious channels for around $15 monthly.

"Realistically, it has to cost more than it did because they're putting a lot of money into the system," said Dexter City Administrator Mark Stidham. Stidham said the city has no control of the cable fees, which are totally determined by businesses in the private sector.

When the process is completed, digital cable will be available from Bloomfield in the north to Essex in the east and eventually all the way south to Campbell. Gleason said the upgrades will come in geographic sections - as fiber optic cable is installed in each section, the new service comes online in a process that will take about six weeks for the Dexter-Bloomfield area. New Wave plans to have the new system completed by March.

However, not all residents in those areas will be able to get the upgraded service.

"We run the cable where the density of houses gives us a return on the investment," said Gleason. That means those who aren't able to get cable now in their rural homes will still have to do without, although satellite dishes are an option.

In addition to more channels and the option of going digital, local cable customers will also have an opportunity to purchase high-speed Internet access through their cable lines for prices ranging from $35 to $50 per month. The access will come through the fiber optic lines, taking away the need to tie up phone lines while on the Internet.

The company will be offering speeds from 256k to 1.5 megabytes.

For those who want high-speed access but don't live where the cable reaches, there are other options.

"We provide both in-town and out-of-town service," said Don Briggs of Dexter Broadband, a wireless Internet service provider that operates in the area. Other wireless providers in the area include SEMO and Battles Communications.