Bright House Networks has filed a complaint with Manatee County, Fla., seeking action against Verizon Communications, which cut into the cable company's fiber optic plant last week, disrupting cable service.
The assistant county attorney, Robert Eschenfelder, said the construction accident April 6 had nothing to do with Verizon's fiber-to-the-home build. The fiber cut, which blacked out about 500 customers, occurred during work to move plant in a state highway corridor. That highway is being widened, and Verizon is required to shift its plant.
Verizon has been asked by the county to give a formal accounting of its actions.
The Bright House complaint asserted that its plant was appropriately placed and marked, adding that Verizon did not notify its competitor of the accident in a timely manner, as required by the terms of its permit.
Bright House officials want a cease-and-desist order against the telco's project, but the county is disinclined to issue one.
"There's no public-safety threat," Eschenfelder said. "We just want a full and complete analysis" of what happened, he added.
