http://tinyurl.com/37hjz8
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The Metropolitan Area Communications Commission, which represents Washington County and 13 cities, voted Thursday to approve an agreement with Verizon Communications Inc. that would bring competition to the cable TV market.

The company said it could start offering television service as soon as late this year.

However, Comcast Corp. officials and several public representatives complained Thursday that the agreement gives Verizon an unfair advantage over Comcast.

Under the approved deal, Verizon would offer the service everywhere in Washington County where it offers phone service except the Gaston and Banks areas. Officials from those two cities voted against the agreement.

Officials from Comcast, which serves all those areas, pointed out that any new franchise must be "reasonably comparable" to Comcast's agreement.

-- David R. Anderson, davidanderson@news.oregonian.com

For more information, read The Oregonian's Business section on Friday.

competition is good.

Boy, now I really am glad I am on Sat........

Some friends of mine haven't really been giving me too favourable of reports about Verizon's phone services, so I could kind of imagine what their cable service might end up being like...........