Camellia Communications is officially in the cable business.

The City of Greenville has approved an ordinance granting the seven-year old telecommunications company authorization to operate a cable television franchise within city limits.

“Since December of 2002 we have been committed to growing our company and offering our customers additional services,” said Ray Wasden, Director of New Services and Operations with Camellia Communications. “We’re excited about the addition of this new product and are glad to be able to offer it to our customers.”

Wasden said premium cable subscribers would be able to receive up to 255 channels. Basic cable subscribers will receive 97 channels.

He said price packages would be available, allowing Camellia Communications customers to bundle Internet, phone, and cable into one subscription. He said the company had been looking at adding cable for the last three years, and finally kept comfortable with the technology to do so.

Wasden said hopes are to have the company’s cable franchise servicing customers by the fourth quarter of this year, roughly between October and December. The cable system is not limited to Greenville, but will include all of the company’s service area.

“We might possibly be able to get it up even earlier than that,” he said.

Wasden said Camellia Communications employs 19 people and is looking to add more personnel in the future.

The company’s cable offering will include a local television channel, where Wasden said city council meetings and other events can be broadcast.

No pricing is available at this time, but Wasden said subscription costs would be competitive.

Currently, cable customers in Greenville have one option for service, Brighthouse Networks, which operates cable systems in parts of Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Michigan and California.

Camellia Communications is an affiliate of Hayneville telephone Company, Inc., which was started in 1946.