Time Warner Now Charging City a Fee to Use Fiber Optic Network

Strongsville will start paying Time Warner $4,242 a month -- about $51,000 a year -- to the cable company previously offered free of charge.

The fee will take effect July 1, with Time Warner giving Strongsville the first six months free, Mayor Tom Perciak said.

"This was a free service we got as part of our (cable TV) franchise agreement," Perciak said.

But deregulation of the cable TV industry means Time Warner can start charging cities for use of the INet, a fiber optic network in the city's buildings that is used for Internet, phones, data, video surveillance and energy management.

The free use was part of a franchise agreement Strongsville hammered out with the city's previous cable TV providers. 

Ohio has since done away with franchise agreements between cities and cable firms.

Travis Reynolds, Time Warner spokesman, told Strongsville Patch in December that the company would continue to offer some free services to schools and safety forces.

"As part of our commitment to the communities we service, we continue to offer complimentary video services to schools, libraries, police stations and fire stations, as well as Internet service to K-12 schools which are passed by our cable system," he said.

City officials said they budgeted $70,000 for the fee, expecting it to be higher than what has been negotiated.