Atlantic Broadband Launches TV, Internet and Phone Services in Eastern Connecticut; Plans to Deliver Gigabit Internet in 2016 (DISPONIBLE EN ANGLAIS SEULEMENT)
Waterford, Conn., October 15, 2015 — Atlantic Broadband, an innovative provider of Internet, Phone and TV services to both businesses and residents, today formally launched its service offering and brand in eastern Connecticut. Atlantic Broadband completed the acquisition of the cable system owned by MetroCast Communications of Connecticut, LLC (“MetroCast Connecticut”) in late August.
Today’s launch marks the arrival of faster Internet speeds, TV service enhancements, and new bundled promotional offerings for the 70,000 homes and businesses in Atlantic Broadband’s Connecticut footprint. Simultaneously, the company announced its plan to broadly deploy Gigabit Internet throughout its service area starting in 2016.
Effective today, Atlantic Broadband will offer a suite of faster Internet services to residents and businesses with top speeds up to 120 Mbps – over 10 times faster than the average speed delivered by competitors in the market as determined by an independent speed test conducted by netindex.com in 2015. Existing MetroCast Internet customers will receive automatic speed upgrades in the coming months.
Additionally, Atlantic Broadband is delivering enhancements to its TV services starting today, to include the introduction of a new Digital Value service which brings an interactive guide and access to thousands of On Demand shows along with the most popular TV services to customers, in a single package. In response to continued consumer interest in commercial-free movie programming, Atlantic Broadband is launching EPIX, a premium movie and original programming entertainment network. EPIX will be included in all Atlantic Broadband Double Play and Triple Play bundles as well as in its new Digital Plus service.
Atlantic Broadband is also making a major commitment to eastern Connecticut with the announcement today of a multi-million dollar investment plan that is already underway to bring affordable Gigabit Internet service to the communities it serves. Gigabit Internet will not only transform the way people communicate, work and play online but also has been shown to attract new businesses and investment, and even to increase home values - leading to growth in the overall economy. The company will utilize technology developed by and for the cable industry – known as DOCSIS 3.1 – that is just now being commercialized and enables Gigabit speeds over the existing broadband network. The company expects to launch its Gigabit Internet service widely throughout its Connecticutfootprint in 2016.
“We understand the economic benefits of ultra-fast Internet service in today’s digital age and our broadband network is uniquely suited to enable customers on a wide scale,” said David Isenberg, Atlantic Broadband’s President and Chief Revenue Officer. “That’s why we’re investing millions of dollars in the latest technology to launch Gigabit Internet service as soon as we possibly can.”
“We are truly honored to serve the residents and businesses in eastern Connecticut. Our goal is to pair high value Internet, TV and Phone services delivered over our powerful broadband network with the most responsive local service anywhere,” said Atlantic Broadband’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard Shea. “With today’s service launches, we think we are off to a great start. And, to support our objectives, we have retained the local operating team formerly employed by MetroCast. Their strong customer focus has enabled a seamless transition and the rapid launch we are announcing today.”
To celebrate Atlantic Broadband’s launch in Connecticut and its Gigabit Internet commitment, a ribbon cutting ceremony and event were held this morning at the company’s Connecticut headquarters in Waterford. The event consisted of welcome remarks from Atlantic Broadband executives, Richard Shea, President and Chief Executive Officer and David Isenberg, President and Chief Revenue Officer and words from local dignitaries and chamber of commerce members.
The Connecticut network passes close to 70,000 homes and businesses across nine communities in eastern Connecticut including New London, Waterford, East Lyme, Montville, Plainfield, Killingly, Sterling, Griswold, and Putnam. This system currently serves approximately 23,000 TV, 22,000 Internet and 8,000 Phone customers.
About Atlantic Broadband
Atlantic Broadband, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cogeco Cable Inc. is the 12th largest cable operator in the United States, based on the number of television service customers served. The company currently provides TV, Internet and Phone services to approximately 246,000 television service customers located in five operating regions: western Pennsylvania, Miami Beach, Maryland/Delaware, Aiken, S.C. and eastern Connecticut. Atlantic Broadband is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts. Additional information is available at www.atlanticbb.com.
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Media Contacts:
Diane Carragher/Lora Lewis
Matter Communications for Atlantic Broadband
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