Competition in the cable market works

As the state's largest public interest group, Citizen Action/Illinois supported the Illinois Cable and Video Competition law that was passed last year by the General Assembly.

This measure was enacted in order to open the doors to competition as a way to help rein in skyrocketing cable TV bills, and also to help create good-paying jobs.

Those jobs are beginning to materialize as AT&T recently announced that 1,400 new jobs have been added to the Illinois work force. The law also provides new consumer protections that address the most common complaints we hear from cable TV customers. It requires requests for new service to be fulfilled within a week; guarantees that companies show up within a four-hour window for installation and repairs; requires all companies to offer a toll-free number for customer service; and it entitles customers to credits on their bill when their service goes out.

Finally, the measure helps bridge the digital divide by ensuring that new technologies are available in economically struggling communities.

The Cable and Video Competition Law shows that we can move our state forward when lawmakers, consumer advocates and the business sector are willing to set aside their past differences, tackle our problems together, and find common ground.

Lynda DeLaforgue

Co-Director

Citizen Action/Illinois

Chicago