TV over phone lines could come to high-speed Internet TV over phone lines could come to high-speed Internet (January 11, 2006)

A new service may be ahead for Portola Valley residents who receive high-speed DSL Internet services: broadcast-quality TV over telephone lines, and no need to subscribe to channels that don't interest you.

The next meeting of the town's Cable & Utilities Undergrounding Committee will include a presentation by AT&T, formerly SBC Communications, on "Project LightSpeed," said committee chair Chris Buja.

The meeting is open to the public and set for 8:15 a.m. Thursday, January 12, at the Historic Schoolhouse at 765 Portola Road.

The new technology appears to be a move by telephone companies to compete on the turf of satellite and cable TV providers by offering broadcast TV for the home.

A battle among the stakeholders may be shaping up on the national level, but among the questions before the Cable Committee and eventually the Town Council are whether the necessary upgrades will require permits and a franchise agreement, and what's to be done about reaching residents on the northern part of town who don't now have access to DSL services.

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