Recent releases
Nov. 6, 2008
On Wed., Oct. 8, 2008, a Wright County Judge in the state of Minnesota rendered a district court opinion and decision in the litigation case between Bridgewater Telephone Co./TDS and the city of Monticello, Minn. Today, Bridgewater Telephone Co./TDS announces its intention to appeal the lower court’s decision to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
The following statements may be attributed to Drew Petersen, director of legislative and public relations for TDS Telecommunications Corp.:
“Today, TDS has filed an appeal in the recent court decision regarding Bridgewater Telephone and the municipal government of Monticello, Minn.
“With TDS’ ongoing deployment of a fiber network in Monticello and TDS’ launch of super high speed broadband Internet to Monticello’s business community this week, TDS continues to demonstrate its commitment to provide excellent quality, modern telecommunication services to Monticello’s businesses and residents.
“TDS remains open to meeting with City officials at any time to discuss how TDS and the City can work together to mutually resolve the litigation. TDS filed the appeal because the City has left us with no other current operational alternative.
“As a job-producing, tax-paying company with millions of dollars invested in the state of Minnesota and the community of Monticello, we see the negative consequences of the decision reaching far beyond this specific case. We are aiming to protect our business interests while standing up for the rights of other business owners as we file this appeal.
“The lower court’s decision, threatens to rewrite the relationship between local government and private enterprise altogether. We are appealing, in particular, the virtually unfettered discretion the decision, as it stands, gives to municipalities in Minnesota. It would allow municipalities tax-free financing to enter into competition with tax-paying businesses in areas traditionally served by private enterprise.
“We also believe the decision endangers the appropriate relationship between municipalities and private enterprise. A city in competition with an existing business cannot fairly discharge its regulatory duties. The city of Monticello would have an inevitable conflict of interest with TDS.
“Importantly, our legal appeal does not influence TDS’ current work in the city of Monticello. The residents of Monticello are getting what they wanted – a community connected by fiber optics. Monticello will soon have some of the most connected individuals and businesses in the state of Minnesota, if not the nation, setting the community apart from other areas for years to come.”
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TDS Telecommunications Corp. markets communications services to business and residential customers in 30 states through its brands TDS Telecom® and TDS Metrocom®. With nearly 1.2 million access line equivalents in service, TDS Telecommunications Corp. connects customers to phone, broadband, and digital television service in hundreds of rural, suburban, and small metropolitan communities. TDS Telecommunications Corp. employs approximately 2,700 people and is headquartered in Madison, Wis. Visit www.tdstelecom.com and www.tdsbusiness.com for more information.
TDS Telecommunications Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems™ (NYSE: TDS, TDS.S) headquartered in Chicago. A Fortune 500® company, Telephone and Data Systems’ strategic business units, TDS Telecommunications Corp. and United States Cellular (NYSE: USM) operate primarily by providing wireless, local telephone and broadband services. As of June 2008, the TDS™ family of companies employs approximately 11,800 people and serves approximately 7.4 million customers in 36 states. Visit www.teldta.com for more information.
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