A new option for Big Island cable TV customers could be available in just a few months.
Hawaiian Telcom applied in December for a 15-year cable television franchise in Hawaii County, which, if approved, would make the company the second cable provider cleared to operate on the island, after Spectrum.
While the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has until June — 120 days after the department accepted the application — to approve or deny Hawaiian Telcom’s application, residents may not have to wait for much longer for the new cable franchise to begin service.
Hawaiian Telcom President Su Shin said Tuesday that cable operations could begin “very shortly thereafter” if DCCA grants the application, explaining that the company has already built out its fiber infrastructure — which it will use to deliver its cable service — to reach roughly 44% of the island.
Shin said island residents can enter their address on the Hawaiian Telcom website to see if they are potential cable customers. While the website currently cannot tell a user if cable service is available to them — after all, the cable application has not been granted yet, so the company cannot offer that service — Shin said anyone within the company’s fiber footprint will be eligible for cable if and when it becomes available.
“You can tell if you’re a fiber customer if it’s offering you the fast speeds, like 1 (gigabit) internet,” Shin said.
During a presentation at a public meeting Tuesday, Shin said Hawaiian Telcom’s cable service would offer channels and content competitive with Spectrum and other providers elsewhere, specifically referencing popular streaming apps including Netflix and Disney+.
“Our platform combines standard linear TV with direct-to-consumer apps such as Netflix, Disney Plus, and YouTube as well as universal search capabilities and cloud services,” read a statement from a Hawaiian Telcom spokeswoman. “Granting Hawaiian Telcom a cable television franchise will directly benefit Hawaii Island residents who have access to our fiber infrastructure by giving them the choice to purchase video service and to bundle it with voice or (our fiber) service or both on a single bill.”
Included among the company’s application materials are lists of channels available at three different tiers of service. At the basic tier — which would be offered at a $40 monthly rate — most of the roughly 50 channels on offer would be local broadcast stations such as KHON and public access channels like C-SPAN.
Higher tiers, which include a $102-per-month “advantage” tier and a $112-per-month “advantage plus,” would include general interest channels like TNT, Animal Planet, MTV and more.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Felipe Monroig, senior director of state government affairs for Charter Communications (the owner of the Spectrum brand) was supportive of the potential competition, saying that fair competition is good for the industry — albeit with emphasis on the word “fair.”
“I trust DCCA to come to terms no more favorable or burdensome than ours,” Monroig said.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.