Aug. 19—POTTSVILLE — City residents will have another choice for cable, TV and phone service, but it's going to take some time.

City council approved a 10-year franchise agreement with Service Electric CableVision that puts the company into the mix with Comcast and Wire Tele-View.

"For years, people asked why we only have one cable company in the city of Pottsville. Now we can offer two," and for some, three, Mayor Dave Clews said at Monday's meeting, noting Wire Tele-View's service in the eastern part of the city.

Timothy Trently, Service Electric general manager, said Thursday that bringing the service to Pottsville could take two years because the company wants to install lines underground running from its hub in Frackville south to Saint Clair, but it has to wait on the Frackville grade reconstruction project, which is expected to begin in 2024.

Trently said once the lines are installed, they will tie into existing utility lines in Saint Clair and from there into the city.

"It's a daunting task to build into the city," Trently said.

He told city council at its Monday meeting that he believes the company, which got its start in Mahanoy City, can "do a good job" servicing customers.

"We were the first cable company in the United States back in 1948. We just celebrated our 75th anniversary in June," he said, "and we offer television services, telephone and internet services (with speed) up to 2 gigs."

Currently, Service Electric has customers in 23 Schuylkill County municipalities, according to Trently.

City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said they hear from residents about the cost of cable and internet service.

Service Electric will not have an office in the city but might install a drop box, as it has done in Shenandoah and Mahanoy City.

Trently responded to a question at the meeting by saying employees can respond to Pottsville from Delano, Frackville and Shenandoah.

"We respond to outages immediately," he said, adding that customers can call a toll free number.

Comcast announced earlier this year that it is expanding its service area in central Schuylkill County as well. The Philadelphia-based provider now serves 40 municipalities in the county, Josephine Posti, director of public relations for the Keystone Region, said Thursday.

Wire-Teleview has customers in about 10 municipalities in the county.

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023