Comcast to pay St. Paul $200K to settle contract claims
Comcast has agreed to pay the City of St. Paul $200,000 to settle claims the company violated its franchise agreement.
St. Paul claimed Comcast underpaid it for using public streets to maintain its network. The city also alleged the company failed to comply with "customer service and reporting requirements."
Comcast disputed the claims but agreed to the settlement this week as part of a larger deal allowing the company to continue providing cable TV service in St. Paul for another 10 years.
Last month, Comcast agreed to pay Minneapolis $40,000 to make up for past underpayments.
The settlements come at a time of upheaval in the local cable TV market. CenturyLink is challenging Comcast's monopoly and seeking approval to begin selling cable in the Twin Cities.
Meanwhile, Comcast is asking the federal government for permission to merge with Time Warner Cable. If it succeeds, Comcast plans to transfer its Midwest customers to a spinoff call GreatLand Connections.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.