Comcast Mailing Upsets Eagan Residents; Council Schedules Hearing to "Shed Light"

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An outcry over unexpected Comcast fees has prompted the Eagan City Council to schedule a special hearing on Tuesday to shed light on the matter.

Earlier this month, a number of Comcast customers in Eagan and other Twin Cities communities received a notification announcing that the company is upgrading its network to an "all-digital platform". Because of the upgrade, users may need a new digital converter or other equipment to continue receiving their current television channels, the notice said.

The notice prompts subscribers to order a digital adapter for un-upgraded TVs for a monthly fee of $1.99 per adapter.

That isn't sitting well with some Eagan residents, who took to the city's Facebook page to express their frustration.

"Comcast increases rates constantly and provide [sic] no service improvements in return," a Facebook user identified as Dallas West wrote. "I'm not paying for another box. No way, no how."

Eagan city officials heard residents' concerns and have scheduled a public discussion during the regular council meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Eagan City Hall. A Comcast representative will be at the meeting.

Eagan Communications Director Tom Garrison hopes the city can serve as the liaison between the company and upset residents.

The city, Garrison said, used to have a joint cable franchise commission in conjunction with the city of Burnsville that typically took action during situations like this. However, that commission was disbanded several years ago, and its responsibilities fell to the Eagan council.

"What we’ve decided to do is try to gather more information on behalf of our residents," Garrison said. "I think people are certainly hearing about it. They’ve got questions, they’ve got mailings, and we hope to get them good and useful information they can act on."

Did you receive the Comcast mailing? Are you attending the Tuesday meeting? Post your questions or concerns in the comment section below.