Cable gets $4 million upgrade in Butte

Bresnan Communications, which recently bought the cable television operation in Butte, is investing more than $4 million to upgrade the local system.

By Leslie McCartney of The Montana Standard

Underground and aerial cable work will bring 20-plus more channels and high-speed Internet service to Butte subscribers. Upgrade work is continuing in Anaconda, Dillon and Bozeman as well, according to the company.

"We’re investing $200 million in a two-year capital plan. The systems we acquired are in need of being upgraded," said Maureen Huff, a spokeswoman for Bresnan Communications, based in Purchase, N.Y.

Bresnan purchased small and medium-sized cable companies in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana last March. It vowed to upgrade the systems previously owned by AT&T and Comcast. With the new work, the Internet will be offered for the first time through the local cable company, something Bresnan prides itself on doing in the smaller non-metro markets.

"We mean it when we talk about it," Huff said.

Crews have been stringing fiber backbone and working on
aerial capacity for a few months. Nearly 100 miles of cable work and replacement should be completed by next spring. Winter will stall ground work, but aerial work will continue, meaning that all subscribers should see the new services by spring.

General Manager Mike Oswald said that customers will see the new channels on the analog and digital formats. He is especially excited that the company will offer high-speed Internet through its system. Unlike dial-up, the Internet is carried through the cable system so phone lines are not tied up.

"It’s extremely fast, and we’re really excited about launching it in the Butte area," he said.

Bresnan is using local contractors, according to the company.

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2003/11/13/newsbutte_top/hjjgiiigjbhaja.txt