Service Electric
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1948 in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Headquarters | 2260 Avenue A, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Products | Cable television, cable telephony, internet service provider |
| Owner | Service Electric Cable TV and Communications |
| Website | sectv |
Service Electric represents a network of affiliated cable television providers operating across eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, with its corporate headquarters situated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
In addition to cable television, the company offers broadband Internet and telephone services through partnerships with PenTeleData and Alianza.
Service Electric Cable TV and Communications
- Serves the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania area; along with Hunterdon County, New Jersey and Warren County, New Jersey
- Covers Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and adjacent communities within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Service Electric Cablevision
- Operates in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania and surrounding regions of Berks, Chester, and Lancaster counties
- Provides service to the Sunbury, Pennsylvania area including Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties
- Covers the vicinity of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, encompassing sections of Carbon, Columbia, Luzerne, Northumberland, and Schuylkill counties
Service Electric Broadband Cable
- Previously served customers in Sussex County, New Jersey until the system was acquired by Altice USA in 2020
History
Established in 1948 by entrepreneur John Walson in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, Service Electric originated as a response to inadequate over-the-air television reception caused by mountainous geography. Walson mounted an antenna atop a mountain to improve signal strength, initially linking his appliance store along with neighboring residences. He is widely recognized as a pioneer who launched one of the earliest cable TV systems in the United States.
Originally named Service Electric Cable TV, Inc., the company was headquartered in Bethlehem. By 2011, it had reorganized into three branches: Service Electric Cable TV & Communications (covering the Lehigh Valley, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and parts of New Jersey), Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey, and Service Electric Cablevision.
On February 18, 2011, Service Electric Cablevision expanded its footprint by acquiring CATV Service Inc., located in Danville, Pennsylvania. Leadership passed to John M. Walson following the death of John E. Walson in 2012.
A notable transaction occurred on July 13, 2020, when Altice USA purchased the Sussex County operations of Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey for $150 million. This strategic sale reduced the company’s presence within New Jersey’s cable market.
Service Electric Network (SEN)
Within its Lehigh Valley system, the company operates Service Electric Network (SEN), a locally originated cable channel dedicated to regional news and sports programming. SEN features broadcasts of high school football, basketball, wrestling from the East Penn Conference, alongside select football games from Lehigh University.
Since 2008, SEN has televised home games for the AAA Minor League baseball team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies, played at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. The network also covers home fixtures for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, linked to the Philadelphia Flyers, plus games involving the AA-level baseball team, the Reading Phillies, as well as matches featuring the soccer club Bethlehem Steel FC. In May 2020, the channel transitioned its branding from TV2 Sports to Service Electric Network.
Market environment
Within the Lehigh Valley, Service Electric competes in a market characterized by overbuild, where customers frequently have the option to select between two cable providers: Service Electric and RCN. Each delivers comparable yet distinct programming selections. In Wilkes-Barre, Service Electric contends with Loop Internet, a regional fiber-optic internet and VOIP phone service provider, which poses a challenge to Service Electric’s customer base despite not supplying cable television. Across most other territories served by Service Electric’s affiliates, the company stands as the exclusive provider available.