AT&T of Indiana offers local public access on U-verse

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN -  AT&T of  Indiana casts a big shadow with that huge tower built by its ancestor Indiana Bell that houses telecommunications equipment for central Indiana.

 So it's no surprise that AT&T would provide public access on its U-verse TV, providing the city and Burris School a huge audience for government, educational, and other public programming that can be found on U-verse's Channel 99.

 George Fleetwood, president of AT&T of Indiana, visited his friend, Mayor Dennis Tyler on Wednesday to kick off the new programming that Roger Overbey handles for the city and Burris School manages for education.

 Those programs can now be found on Comcast, whether it is Channel 60 and 61.

 AT&T became a player in television and video in 2006 after state lawmakers opened the door for the telecommunications giant to enter the market held by cable like Comcast, Time Warner and others.

 Since that time, AT&T has built television and high speed internet services besides U-verse Voice and a protocol system that is part of the Think Possible system

"Muncie was one of the first cities in the state to launch the U-verse product and we remain committed to making enhancements to the service," said Fleetwood.

 Besides that, AT&T knows the Middletown history of Muncie, and like others, always uses it as a market to test new products and services.

 Tyler was delighted to announce the new service on a broadcast that will air on the public access channel. The mayor knows the value of good media, and invested in Overbey to provide government programming to the community. Overbey has been involved in community programming for 20 years and has several programs featuring public safety, government and other community agencies.

 AT&T provides public access in other community like Indianapolis and Lafayette and continues to evolve its huge 4G network that powers its wireless, WiFi, high speed internet, voice and cloud-based services.

 And the company employs more than 3,000 Hoosiers in central Indiana, most represented by Communications Workers of America.

Angle Schritter, legislative chairperson for CWA Local 4900, said AT&T had been a great partner in providing employment and opportunity in the state. The expansion of service also means more jobs, she said.