BellSouth getting ready to move into cable TV

GAINESVILLE - The district manager for BellSouth said in Gainesville Thursday the company is preparing to announce a move into the cable television business.

Paul Chambers spoke to the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

"What we really see happening in a few years is (a time when there are not) phone companies and cable companies, but you just have a number of communication providers," Chambers said. "What you've really got going on in America now (are) cable companies getting into the phone business and phone companies getting into the cable business."

He added "there's an awful lot of things that AT&T and BellSouth are looking at as far as providing video services over our existing network. A lot of that is still in the trial phase but we hope to have some further news on that in the next year."

MERGER

As for the planned merger of AT&T and BellSouth, which was announced a few weeks ago, Chambers said "while there's still a lot that we can't say about the impact it might have (in local communities), what we do know is that we will continue to be very involved in Hall County, with the chamber of commerce and other organizations."