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City holds public hearing on Ritter Communications’ move to cable franchise
Summary
At an Aug. 26 public hearing, Ritter Communications outlined plans to transition from a telecommunications franchise to a cable franchise in Paducah, saying it will run its own fiber, offer internet packages up to 5 Gbps and provide PEG channels; the ordinance to approve the franchise is slated for Sept. 2.
Ritter Communications told the Paducah City Commission on Aug. 26 that it intends to convert its existing telecommunications franchise into a city-authorized cable franchise and begin offering full cable television alongside internet and voice services.
Lindsay, the city clerk, opened the public hearing under Chapter 22 of the city code and said Ritter submitted the only proposal to the city’s request for proposals in July 2025. She said approval of the new franchise would formally move Ritter from the Chapter 108 telecommunications framework to a Chapter 22 cable franchise and that an ordinance to approve the franchise is targeted for the commission meeting on Sept. 2.
Katie Hall, identified herself as “Katie Hall, construction communication manager for Ritter Communications,” and said the company will run its own fiber and use a mix of underground and aerial deployment. “We will run all of our own fiber optics,” Hall said, adding Ritter has coordinated pole attachments with Paducah Power and other utilities and understands pole-loading limits. She said Ritter has cleared legal attachment requirements and expects to turn up residential service beginning in September, noting business services are already active.
Hall outlined the company’s resident outreach: mailed resident letters and construction postcards, a QR code linking to a website video explaining construction, and a local hotline routed to nearby offices. She said Ritter plans to offer internet-only packages from 250 Mbps up to 5 Gbps, home phone service, and packaged cable television under the new franchise. The company also told the commission it will have local install-and-repair staff and an auditor assigned to the field work in this region.
City staff said Ritter committed in the draft agreement to provide PEG (public, educational and government) channels at the lowest cable package price currently offered by the incumbent provider. With no public comments, the clerk closed the hearing; staff said the approval ordinance will be taken up at the next meeting.
The commission did not vote on the franchise at the hearing; the matter was left on the schedule for formal consideration on Sept. 2.
