Clandestino
11-27-2008, 10:17 AM
TWC should stop getting into legal battles with everyone and concentrate on lowering prices and making a better product. TWC can't touch ATT on cable pricing or quality of service.
By Sanford Nowlin - Express-News Time Warner Cable has sued AT&T Inc. in federal court in San Antonio, claiming the telecommunications giant destroyed and misappropriated cable company equipment when it rolled out its U-verse video service.
AT&T damaged parts of Time Warner's network, the suit alleges, through “sheer acts of vandalism, trespass, conversion and misappropriation of Time Warner's property.” The company tried to make up for lackluster response to its service by interfering with its competitors, it also alleges.
AT&T spokesman Mike Barger declined comment on the claims in the suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
“Both parties are currently engaged in efforts to resolve the pending lawsuit and to implement procedures that address disputed issues related to the installation of their services,” he said in a prepared statement.
A Time Warner spokesman also had no comment on the suit.
AT&T relocated to Dallas from San Antonio earlier this year, but its division that oversees U-verse still is headquartered here. The Alamo City also was the first market for U-verse, which launched in 2006 and has since expanded to other U.S. cities.
When hooking up new services, providers such as AT&T often need to work in cramped spaces jammed with other telecom providers' gear. During that process, analysts said, technicians may damage competitors' equipment.
“There have been suits about this stuff going back 10 years,” Frost telecom analyst Le Keough said. “There's limited space in those rights of way. There's a limited amount of space on the poles and a limited amount of space underground.”
AT&T and Time Warner have battled in court here over rights-of-way issues at least once before.
In late 2006, AT&T sued the cable provider, saying its technicians illegally damaged its network when hooking up phone customers in apartment buildings here. Time Warner fired back weeks later with a suit claiming the phone giant harmed its equipment during installation calls.
AT&T spokesman Barger said the companies have since reached a settlement in that dispute.
As part of the settlement, the companies are working to resolve the pending suit and to develop new procedures to avoid future disputes, he said in a statement.
By Sanford Nowlin - Express-News Time Warner Cable has sued AT&T Inc. in federal court in San Antonio, claiming the telecommunications giant destroyed and misappropriated cable company equipment when it rolled out its U-verse video service.
AT&T damaged parts of Time Warner's network, the suit alleges, through “sheer acts of vandalism, trespass, conversion and misappropriation of Time Warner's property.” The company tried to make up for lackluster response to its service by interfering with its competitors, it also alleges.
AT&T spokesman Mike Barger declined comment on the claims in the suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
“Both parties are currently engaged in efforts to resolve the pending lawsuit and to implement procedures that address disputed issues related to the installation of their services,” he said in a prepared statement.
A Time Warner spokesman also had no comment on the suit.
AT&T relocated to Dallas from San Antonio earlier this year, but its division that oversees U-verse still is headquartered here. The Alamo City also was the first market for U-verse, which launched in 2006 and has since expanded to other U.S. cities.
When hooking up new services, providers such as AT&T often need to work in cramped spaces jammed with other telecom providers' gear. During that process, analysts said, technicians may damage competitors' equipment.
“There have been suits about this stuff going back 10 years,” Frost telecom analyst Le Keough said. “There's limited space in those rights of way. There's a limited amount of space on the poles and a limited amount of space underground.”
AT&T and Time Warner have battled in court here over rights-of-way issues at least once before.
In late 2006, AT&T sued the cable provider, saying its technicians illegally damaged its network when hooking up phone customers in apartment buildings here. Time Warner fired back weeks later with a suit claiming the phone giant harmed its equipment during installation calls.
AT&T spokesman Barger said the companies have since reached a settlement in that dispute.
As part of the settlement, the companies are working to resolve the pending suit and to develop new procedures to avoid future disputes, he said in a statement.