Comcast Seeks Injunction On AT&T Installations In Illinois

April 25, 2008 12:51 a.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - Comcast Corp., the largest cable TV firm and second largest Internet service provider in the U.S., has asked a court to stop competitor AT&T Inc. from installing its U-verse television service.

But the largest provider of both local and long distance telephone services, wireless service, and DSL Internet access in the country will fight the petition in which Comcast claims that the AT&T TV service has been disrupting service to its 20,000 Internet subscribers in the Chicago area.

The rivals apparently use the same coaxial cable to deliver their services to customers' homes. However, Comcast claimed AT&T is installing its U-verse TV service the wrong way, disrupting its customers' access to Internet service and even AT&T's own telephone service.

Comcast said it had requested AT&T to fix the problem more than a year ago but the latter has yet to respond to the request until now. So Comcast is bringing the matter to court.

AT&T plans to continue rolling out its U-verse TV service in Illinois at a cost of more than $1.3 billion.