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An estimated 1600 Scott County customers of Highland Telephone Cooperative will soon have the opportunity to sign-up for up to 150 high-definition cable TV channels.

That’s the word from HTC General Manager F.L. “Fred” Terry, who talked about the system’s “first phase” of updating to fiber optics in a Friday morning interview.

Terry explained that the system’s first-ever underground fiber optic update has been completed from South Oneida to Helenwood, and sign-ups for various bundles of TV channels will begin in July.

He said the “fiber-to-the-home” project on HTC’s “B Route” is in place and in use for both telephone and high-speed Internet service.

“Now were just about ready to make the hook-ups for video,” Terry added.

It all began in 2005 when representatives of HTC and its newly-formed subsidiary, Highland Media Corporation (HMC), went before the governing boards of the county and Town of Oneida to request cable TV franchises.

“We knew that it was time to rebuild our B Route [basically from the Depot Street-U.S. 27 intersection in Oneida to the intersection of Helenwood Detour Road], and the question was whether or not to rebuild with copper or upgrade to fiber optics,” Terry said.

The decision, of course, was to go with fiber optics and to put it underground, including running the fiber directly to the homes.

Once the cable TV franchises were in hand and the construction contract inked, it was estimated that the project would take about a year to complete, Terry said, adding HTC had planned to have what he termed a “triple play” — enhanced telephone service, high-speed Internet connections, and high-definition TV service — in place shortly after construction was to be complete in early 2007.

However, construction delays saw the completion date fall “nine to 10 months” behind schedule, Terry stated. And then there was another problem which had developed that had not been anticipated; namely, ever-changing technology.

While burying fiber optic cable on one end of the system was underway, a “head-in” satellite receiving station was being built on the other — in Sunbright — and that project was slowed due to the fact that new and better equipment was coming on the market faster than the project could be wrapped up.

“We knew from the start that if we got into this, we’d have to provide a good quality picture, provide the channels . . . so we had to upgrade the technology we wanted to use,” Terry said.

“This is still pretty new technology . . . not available in most parts of the world, especially in this region. But, [once completed], people in this area will have state-of-the-art stuff,” he said.

The cost of high-definition TV will, of course, vary from household to household, depending on the type of package desired, the number of TV’s in the house, etc.

Terry said that the “basic plan” would include channels two to 88,” but other plans would include premium movie and sports channels, pay-per-view events, and “in demand” movies, for example. What he termed as a “very conservative” estimate of 150 channels will be made available, Terry said.

Terry also pointed out another unexpected problem which cropped up during the rebuild of B Route.

“When we began this project there were consortiums in existence where you could get programming,” Terry explained. But during the course of constructing this system, “a moratorium was placed on new members”

Now, he says, “We have to negotiate individually with each program provider . . . and we have to do what they say, pay what they want, with each contract being different.”

He gave as an example the fact that ABC, ESPN and Disney are all one big outfit, but separate contracts now have to be negotiated with each one rather than the group, which he indicated, is frustrating, time-consuming and expensive.

The in-home connections will be the final role that personnel from HTC will perform, as its subsidiary, HMC, will be responsible for marketing the new service, Terry pointed out.

The installations are expected to take two to three months to complete.

In answer to the obvious question of: “Where do you go from here?” Terry explained that depended on a number of factors, which includes a decision by HTC’s Board of Directors.

HTC could begin expanding its fiber optic network from its Oneida-Helenwood B Route to other densely populated areas adjacent to that system, putting the fiber underground whenever and wherever possible, or going overhead with it where it is not possible. Or, the board could decide to move into new areas, build fiber optic compactible stations like the one in Oneida and grow from there.

Another factor HTC’s board will look at is how well the customers respond to what’s being offered. In other words, how much money comes in to begin retiring the multi-million dollar debt incurred by converting to fiber optic cable.

Regardless of what the next step will be insofar as extending fiber optic service, “Phase One” is nearing completion and HTC has taken yet another technological step forward in a field that has seen one advancement after another in its 50-plus years of existence.