The ratings on Quincy, Mass.-based cable TV provider Atlantic Broadband Finance LLC reflect Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' expectations for a "highly leveraged" financial profile (as defined in our criteria), aggressive competition from direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV providers for video services and local telephone companies for high-speed data (HSD) and telephone services, and cost disadvantages from the company's relatively small scale. Tempering factors include its operations in less populated second-tier markets, which provide some protection from local telephone companies deploying fiber-based video offerings in the intermediate term; its position as the dominant provider of pay-TV services in its markets; and some growth potential from HSD, residential telephony, and commercial services. Atlantic Broadband is a midsized cable system operator serving roughly
