By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

LIBERTY TWP. - Digital TV and high-speed Internet connections via fiber-optic cable lines will be available here and in parts of Fairfield beginning next month.

The price of progress, however, will be rate increases.

Most of Liberty's 5,400 cable subscribers have the "basic" plan, and their rates will increase from $30.86 to $37.95 a month. People with the "Option 1" broadcast channels and a few cable channels will not see an increase in rates.

The basic plan upgrade includes 17 new channels for a total of 70 channels. The high-speed Internet option - called Power Link - is an add-on service that customers can purchase for an additional $44.95 a month.

However, discounts will be available with various combinations of services, said Art Loescher, area manager for Adelphia Communications, the township's cable provider.

Superior picture quality and reliability are among the advantages of digital TV through fiber-optic cable lines. For Internet service, the advantages are higher speed and no telephone connection.

"This is no doubt one of Adelphia's hottest products," Mr. Loescher said. "We launched it in Amelia (Clermont County) and plan to launch it in all of our areas within the next couple of years."

Adelphia has about 55,000 subscribers in Butler, Clermont and Warren counties.

Adelphia has been Liberty Township's cable TV provider for more than three years. The Caudersport, Pa., company bought out the township's former cable provider - Coaxial - which was in financial trouble.

A limited area of the township has access to Time Warner Cable. Trustee Bob Shelley said there have been complaints that the entire township does not have access to Time Warner.

But the township's contract with Adelphia is non-exclusive, township administrator Nell Kilpatrick said.

"Any other cable company can come into this township, drop cable and provide cable services," Ms. Kilpatrick said. "But most communities - including Liberty - do not have enough cable subscribers to make it financially profitable for more than one company."

When Adelphia's contract was up for renewal in 2002, trustees negotiated for the upgrades, including a connection to West Chester Community Television's Channel 15.

The connection - between Adelphia and Time Warner lines - will allow Liberty Township residents to view Lakota Local School District programming.

"This is extremely innovative for two cable companies to work together like this," Ms. Kilpatrick said.

Without this connection, Liberty would have to build its own community television station, which is cost- prohibitive, Ms. Kilpatrick said.

Part of the franchise fees Liberty Township collects from Adelphia will be paid to West Chester Community Television for Channel 15 connection.

E-mail annag1129@cs.com