While Sunflower Broadband customers have access to one of the most advanced digital cable systems in the country, many cable systems serving smaller communities don’t have the network capacity to upgrade, a leader of a cable-TV industry group says.

Proposed rules for mandating a conversion of analog to digital television signals could leave residents and operators in smaller communities without affordable service, said Patrick Knorr, general manager of Sunflower Broadband in Lawrence. He asked Congress last month to be mindful of such effects when passing new rules for digital conversion.

Knorr, as vice chairman of the American Cable Assn., testified in Washington, telling members of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet that their proposed rules could increase the “digital divide” between urban and rural areas, rather than reduce it.

Millions of analog TV sets could be rendered useless, he told committee members, and cable providers operating in smaller communities could be faced with millions of dollars in equipment upgrades that could force them out of business.

In some communities, Knorr said, cable companies are the sole providers of high-speed Internet service. Such services could be put at risk by the proposed rules.

On Friday, Knorr said customers of Sunflower Broadband didn’t need to worry about the company’s recent switch from analog to digital. That’s because the company’s system has enough capacity to handle digital, high-definition and analog signals at the same time.

“Lawrence is an advanced community. There are a lot of people who want advanced digital services, like high-definition,” Knorr said. “In some smaller communities, their concern is just getting a signal. We’re in a unique position to testify. We’re not seeking consideration for us. We’re asking on behalf of over 1,000 cable operators that serve smaller communities and don’t have the financial resources that larger operators do.”

The American Cable Assn. represents independent cable operators and other providers operating in small and rural markets. The association’s 1,100 members serve 8 million subscribers.

Sunflower Broadband is a division of The World Company, which owns the Journal-World.