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Midco presents fiber and video franchise plan to Minnetrista; council takes no immediate action
Summary
Midco told the Minnetrista City Council it has applied for a competitive cable franchise and intends to build fiber-to-the-home across the city with an IPTV video product; city staff and counsel will review Midco’s application and proposed contract and return a qualification report and draft franchise for council approval at a later meeting.
Midco representatives told the Minnetrista City Council during a public hearing that the company has applied for a competitive cable franchise and is already constructing fiber in the city.
Bob Voss, attorney with Kennedy and Graven, told the council state law requires municipal review of an applicant’s legal, technical and financial qualifications before issuing a cable franchise. Voss said Midco submitted the materials required by Minnesota statutes and that staff and counsel will review any proposed differences in contract language between Midco’s proposal and the city’s existing franchise with Mediacom.
Andrew Kerley, Midco’s senior director of government relations, said Midco intends to complete a buildout to serve “all of the city of Minnetrista” with fiber-to-the-home service and to add video service once a franchise is in place. Kerley described the network as capable of symmetric speeds up to 5 gigabits per second and said Midco’s video offering, marketed as Midco TV, is an IPTV product with multiple packages.
Kerley gave a rough construction timeline of about three years (2024–2026), with the caveat that weather, permitting and supply-chain issues could extend work into 2027. He said Midco preferred underground installation where possible, with aerial placement only where utility poles require it.
Council members asked whether franchise terms must match the existing Mediacom contract. Voss said Minnesota law requires parity on three statutory items—franchise fees, service area and PEG obligations—but allows negotiation on other contract provisions; staff’s goal is to achieve parity where required and reasonable parity on other items.
Mayor Lisa Whalen closed the hearing after no residents signed up to speak. Voss told council staff will prepare a short report confirming whether Midco is qualified under the statute and will bring the report and a draft franchise contract back to the council for action at a later meeting.
Next steps: staff and the city’s outside counsel will review Midco’s application and proposed contract language and present a qualification report and draft franchise for council consideration. No franchise was authorized or denied at this meeting.
