The first Bloomfield Township cable franchise was a locally approved franchise with Booth Communications in the early 1980's. That franchise was transferred to MediaOne in 1999, and then to Comcast in 2000. This franchise was always non-exclusive, meaning that any cable provider who wished to do business in Bloomfield Township could apply for a franchise. Unfortunately, no other cable provider chose to compete and for years Township residents had no choice in cable TV services.
In 2007, following state legislation that established the Uniform State Video franchise, (P.A. 480) AT&T applied for a state franchise to offer video services in Bloomfield Township. According to law, that franchise was approved in April 2007.
Unlike our local franchise, P.A. 480 does not require a cable or video provider to service every home in a community. Therefore, while Comcast provides cable service throughout all of Bloomfield Township, AT&T selectively provides service to parts of the Township and not others. This is allowed by law and Bloomfield Township cannot regulate it. For details on Bloomfield Township's attempts to encourage cable competition and to keep its local franchise, see the end of this section.
Local Cable Providers
Comcast/Xfinity 1-800-XFINITY
AT&T 1-800-288-2020
Cable Complaints
If you have a problem with your cable or video service that was not resolved satisfactorily when you called your provider, you may call Bloomfield Township's Cable Studio at 248-433-7792 and leave a message. Someone will call you back to get details and intervene with the cable company on your behalf. Or, you may contact the Michigan Public Service Commission. For details on that agency's complaint resolution process, please see the MPSC page on How to File a Complaint
If you would like to know if AT&T's video service is available at your home, call the customer service number, 800-288-2020, or see the AT&T website.
To contact Comcast call 800-266-2278 or visit the Comcast Business website or Comcast / Xfinity website.
In 2010 Wide Open West (WOW) was granted franchises in several neighboring communities. Over the years, Bloomfield Township has contacted WOW's top local administrators, encouraging them to seek a franchise in Bloomfield Township. Each time, WOW officials have said they were focusing on the communities in which they already provided services and had no immediate plans to expand further. We will continue to encourage competition to the extent we are able to do so.
Read our most recent letter to WOW.