[edit]Hi Mike, looks like it's funded via investments:
Western Integrated Networks Raises $830 Million To Build Residential Broadband Networks
PR Newswire - July 21, 2000 18:54
DENVER, July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Integrated Networks, LLC (WIN) announced today that it closed its second round of equity on June 30, 2000 bringing its total equity commitments up to $830 million. WIN is building residential high-capacity broadband networks that will deploy fiber directly to the home in Tier I/Tier II metropolitan communities in the western and southwestern United States. WIN's networks will be scalable and symmetrical and will deploy a dedicated Gigabit optical link to every home on its network. The Company's networks will capitalize on the significant demand for broadband services and will allow it to provide voice, video and data services, bundled or ala carte.
To date, the company has won cable franchises in Sacramento and San Diego, CA, and Austin and San Antonio, TX covering approximately 1.65 million homes. WIN's targeted markets include:
Austin, TX Los Angeles, CA Portland, OR
San Antonio, TX San Francisco, CA Seattle, WA
Dallas, TX Sacramento, CA Las Vegas, NV
Houston, TX San Diego, CA Phoenix, AZ
WIN's investor group includes:
J.P. Morgan
Madison Dearborn
Columbia Capital
First Union Capital
The Blackstone Group
Providence Equity
Oak Investment Partners
BCI Partners
Dolphin Communications
Duff, Ackermann & Goodrich
Telesoft Partners
WIN is based in Denver, CO. Any questions should be directed to James M. Kane, Chief Financial Officer at 303-407-1601.
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Now what I'm wondering is if there's any connection between WINfirst and *this* WIN LLC holding company (see bottom):
WIN Switching awards Lucent Technologies $50 million contract to build converged voice and data network in Pacific Northwest
FOR RELEASE TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 1999
Murray Hill, N.J. -- WIN Switching, a consortium of Independent Telephone Companies in the Pacific Northwest, and Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) announced today that Lucent had been awarded a five-year, $50 million contract to build a converged telecommunications network that will bring advanced data and voice services to customers in rural and semi-rural areas of the Pacific Northwest.
The consortium plans to offer residential and business customers voice and data switching services based on Lucent's broadband access solutions including the PathStar™ Access Server, Lucent's flagship 5ESS® Switch and the 7 R/E™ Packet Solutions portfolio. As the network is built, WIN Switching plans to add data networking capabilities to offer services such as telemedicine, distance learning and high-speed access to the Internet. This will give customers in rural areas quick access to information of particular interest to them, such as commodities prices and weather forecasts.
"We plan to improve, enhance and expand service in rural and semi-rural areas by building a high-quality, high-capacity infrastructure," said Ron Hayhurst, Manager, WIN Switching. "Member companies of WIN Switching have provided reliable, high-quality access through the public voice network for decades. Now, the advanced data-networking technologies offered by Lucent will enable WIN Switching to keep up with changes in customer demand. WIN Switching intends to deploy new technology as demand warrants, and Lucent's flexible migration path from circuit to packet switching provides a cost-effective means of doing so."
WIN Switching will employ Lucent's broadband access solutions as part of a core ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) network and will use Lucent's PathStar™ Access Server as a migration path to the 7 R/E solutions. The 7R/E Packet Driver easily evolves the 5ESS Switch to effectively handle voice-data convergence. The 7R/E Packet Driver connects the public switched telephone network with various data networks, such as IP or ATM networks. Service providers with a 5ESS Switch can now quickly and easily offer Internet access, Internet telephony services, or other popular data services, while simplifying network operations and protecting current investments.
"Lucent's solution creates a converged backbone that provides the flexibility to offer voice or data services or both," said Bill Plunkett, senior sales vice president for emerging service providers at Lucent Technologies. "The types of services made available by broadband technology will give people in rural areas new business and learning opportunities. Lucent is delighted to be selected by WIN Switching to be part of the team making that happen."
About WIN Switching
WIN Switching is one of several Limited Liability Companies formed by Western Independent Networks, Inc. ("WIN"). WIN is the business development arm of the small, Independent Telephone Companies in the Pacific Northwest. Other companies associated with WIN are WIN Signaling, which provides SS7 services to member companies and others, and WIN Transport, which is working to improve the fiber optic interconnections in non-urban areas of the Pacific Northwest. WIN also started Washington Oregon Wireless, LLC, the Sprint PCS Network Member managing local Sprint PCS service in areas of those states. WOW is building a $60 Million Sprint PCS network in Oregon and Washington, using Lucent switching equipment and base stations. |
