Television viewers in the area looking for an alternative to traditional cable or satellite services won’t have to wait much longer. Eastern Oregon Telecom is planning to offer Internet TV sometime in the second quarter of the year.
“It will have the same look and feel that you get from cable or satellite,” said EOT CEO Joe Franell. “You’ll get all the channels you want with DVR capability.”
And while the cost of Internet TV will be comparable to cable and satellite TV, the benefit of Internet TV, said Franell, is local service.
“We’re a local provider offering local service,” he said. “There is a big difference between doing business with them and doing business with us.” Franell said customers will have the advantage of talking to local EOT employees anytime during business hours and will have access to an after-hours call center in Corvallis.
Internet TV is basically video delivered over an Internet protocol like Netflix or Hulu. Data is translated into video by a receiver device. Internet TV will be available to customers who currently have cable, DSL or fiber.
In order to provide the service, however, the Hermiston City Council had to amend its telecommunications franchise agreement with EOT, which it did at Monday’s meeting.
