RCN Business Services to Offer Wideband Cable Modem Options to Small, Medium Sized Businesses Over Its Own Fiber-Rich Backbone

HERNDON, VA, Nov 02, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- RCN Corporation (NASDAQ: RCNI) announced today that RCN Business Services is expanding its data product suite by introducing wideband cable modem offerings through the rollout of DOCSIS 3.0 technology to the Small, Medium Business (SMB) market.

RCN is a leading provider of all-digital and high definition video, high-speed internet, and premium voice services to residential and small-medium sized business customers, as well as high-capacity transport services to carrier and large enterprise customers.

RCN Business Services will take advantage of the next generation DOCSIS specification to introduce cable modems that deliver up to three times faster speeds than today's highest speed services. The company plans to launch in Manhattan and in portions of Boston where it has fiber in thousands of buildings and broadband coaxial cable throughout its footprint. Additional areas served by RCN in Eastern Pennsylvania will also get to take advantage of RCN's new speed tiers.

RCN Business Services will introduce several powerful data tiers aimed specifically at customers looking for a fast and reliable platform that can support the demands of multiple users and applications like Hosted VoIP, video conferencing, streaming video and robust and secure Virtual Private Network (VPN), for example.

RCN will leverage the Cisco(R) DOCSIS 3.0 downstream channel bonding solution that includes the Cisco(R) uBR10012 cable modem termination systems (CMTS) and Cisco DPC3000 Channel Bonded Cable Modems. The new services will offer peak data rates of 20 Mbps downstream/5 Mbps upstream, 40 Mbps downstream/5 Mbps upstream and 60 Mbps downstream/10 Mbps upstream. Pricing will allow for one to two year commitments ranging from $59.99 to $199.99. While other existing speed tiers are available to meet the specific needs of smaller businesses, all of the new DOCSIS tiers will be available to customers seeking a wideband option.

"An offering that includes faster upstream and downstream speeds will further allow us to develop solutions that meet the needs of our business customers. We anticipate that the midpoint 40/5 Mbps data package will provide the best value for many SMBs," explained RCN Business Services Vice President and General Manager, Mary Jane Horne. "We engage closely with our clients who tell us over and over about the tremendous pressures they face to find new ways to increase productivity and drive efficiency. Our rollout of DOCSIS 3.0 will make it easier for us to address this demand."

"DOCSIS 3.0 is designed to help our cable provider customers, like RCN, dramatically boost speeds using channel bonding technology," said Mark Palazzo, general manager, Cable Access Business Unit, Cisco. "DOCSIS 3.0 will enable cable MSOs to allow small business customers to leverage higher speed tiers for increased productivity, web hosting and VoIP adoption -- all with faster speeds and attractive prices."

"Every business needs a solid foundation on which to build," added Horne. "RCN's Wideband data, served over our own fiber-rich backbone, is a building block that every business could utilize to operate efficiently and reliably. When RCN's Voice and Video building blocks are layered on as part of a core telecommunications strategy, customers can focus on what's most important, running their business."

About RCN Corporation

RCN Corporation (NASDAQ: RCNI), http://www.rcn.com [1], is a competitive broadband services provider delivering all-digital and high definition video, high-speed internet and premium voice services to residential and small-medium business customers under the brand names of RCN and RCN Business Services, respectively. In addition, through its RCN Metro Optical Networks business unit, RCN delivers fiber-based high-capacity data transport services to large commercial customers, primarily large enterprises and carriers, targeting the metropolitan central business districts in the company's geographic markets. RCN's primary service areas include Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley (PA), New York City, Boston and Chicago. (RCNI-G)

Contacts:

Lisa Barder
RCN Corporation
(609) 651-6892
Lisa.Barder@rcn.net [2]

Mike Houghton
Communicreate
(703) 799-7383
mike.houghton@rcn.net [3]

SOURCE: RCN Corporation

mailto:Lisa.Barder@rcn.net [2]
mailto:mike.houghton@rcn.net [3]