Parts of Anne Arundel now have four options for cable service.
The County Council unanimously approved a franchise agreement Monday with Cavalier to provide service to Linthicum, Glen Burnie and Maryland City.
Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, which approved a franchise agreement Monday, are the first jurisdictions in Maryland to receive Cavalier services. Cavalier also is seeking to break into the cable market in Howard.
“We hope to come here and not just provide what many come to expect, but to give better service than before,” said Craig Pizer, a Cavalier vice president.
Cavalier will join Comcast, Verizon and Millennium as cable providers in Anne Arundel.
Millennium was to merge with Comcast, but the Federal Trade Commission denied the merger two months ago.
Cavalier?s limited service area is due to its delivery method. The Richmond, Va.,-based company will piggyback off Verizon?s copper wiring and will not invest in capital improvements.
“That?s how the small guy can compete in an area with three other competitors,” Pizer said.
But Councilman Ed Reilly, R-District 7, who represents the southern part of Anne Arundel, took notice of the large void in coverage.
Anne Arundel is Cavalier?s first victory in Maryland after the Baltimore City Council rejected a franchise agreement last week because the company did not have a Maryland office.
That issue was raised by the Anne Arundel County Council, but it did not sway any votes.
Cavalier?s only hurdle may come in the form of Verizon?s FiOS lines. As Verizon upgrades its customers to fiber-optic cables, Cavalier could lose potential customers who used the copper wiring, said Council Chairman Ronald Dillon Jr., R-District 3.
However, in Anne Arundel, Verizon is required to reinstall copper wiring connections if customers end fiber optic service.
