Peabody Will End Comcast's Cable Monopoly

PEABODY, MA —Mayor Ted Bettencourt said the city has granted a provisional license to RCN to offer cable service to Peabody residents, ending 40 years of cable-company monopolies. It will be RCN's 17th franchise in Massachusetts and it will compete head-to-head with Comcast to offer cable services to city residents.

"When I first ran for Mayor and nearly every day since I’ve been in office, I have heard from Peabody residents who are fed up with the cable TV monopoly in Peabody," Bettencourt said in a statement. "The agreement with RCN puts an end to the monopoly once and for all and will bring much needed competition not only for cable TV but for high-speed internet and telephone service as well."

Under the terms of the agreement, RCN will receive space on utility poles operated by Peabody Municipal Light Plant to build out its network. The company also agreed to build an exclusive fiber infrastructure for municipal use, a so-called I-Net, which should save the city money on network costs.

"We congratulate Mayor Bettencourt and the city for providing a new choice for residents and businesses," Jeff Carlson of RCN said in a statement.