Cable Advisory Committee approves Verizon license terms in 3-0 vote

WAYLAND — February 23, 2023 — Wayland Cable Advisory Committee accepts Verizon license, sending it to Select Board. The committee voted 3-0 Thursday to approve consultant Bill Hewitt's negotiated terms with Verizon: a 5 percent gross-revenue franchise fee matching Comcast, $25,000 per year in capital support for five years totaling $125,000, and a 360-day termination notice in place of the standard 180. Hewitt said the flat $25,000 represents a 9 to 10 percent premium over Comcast's per-subscriber formula, which now yields about $23,775 annually as subscriber counts decline. Members David Watkins, Carl Rosenblatt and Chair Jason Monkern backed the motion. "They have finally come and met us where we were asking them to meet us," Watkins said. The Select Board could vote Feb. 27.