T’daux converts to digital U-verse

The Thibodaux City Council has granted AT&T permission to use the city’s rights-of-way to set up equipment that will offer residents a new digital television service.

The city council voted last Tuesday for Thibodaux to receive U-verse television, which has more than 300 channels, 100 HD channels, a searchable yellow pages function and a playable Yahoo! Games service.

It also features Total Home DVR, which lets customers watch any recorded program from a single DVR to any connected TV in the home.

Customers also are able to set their DVR from the Web or any cell phone that supports the Internet, AT&T spokesman Hood Harris said.

“It’s video service that we deliver through Internet protocol, not television over the Internet,” Harris said. “We are not trying to say every channel will be wired to your house. We are only sending what you want to watch. For that reason, we are able to offer a lot more of the HD channels and the regular channels as well.”

U-verse delivers a new entertainment experience, Harris said.

The digital-television services are delivered to customers via phone lines or over fiber optics using Internet protocol, which prevents it from interfering with the city’s agreement with Charter Communications for cable.

City attorney Germaine Jackson reviewed the agreement and said there was relatively no difference between AT&T’s agreement and a standard franchise agreement that establishes the responsibilities of both parties, as well as the percentage the city charges companies to operate.

Thibodaux Mayor Charles Caillouet said the city will receive 5 percent of gross revenues from U-verse.

AT&T officials are not revealing precise U-verse availability dates. But AT&T representatives told the city council in May that the official launch date for areas surrounding Thibodaux is sometime before the end of the year.

The service will not replace the city’s current authorized cable-television provider, Charter Communications, but instead will provide residents with another option.

Other choices include Direct TV and the Dish Network.

Terrebonne Parish also is in line to receive U-verse via an identical agreement, Harris said.