Glad I held on:
The Integration of its Internet Acquisitions Now Complete, RCN Announces the Launch of RCN.COM
PR Newswire - December 28, 1998 13:39
New Brand Will Merge Erol's, UltraNet, JavaNet and Interport Entities Into a Next-Generation ISP and Leverage RCN's State-of-the-Art Fiber Optic Network
PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- With the internal integration of its four major Internet Service Provider (ISP) acquisitions complete, RCN Corporation (Nasdaq: RCNC) today announced the external integration of these successful and well-respected ISPs under a common brand name offering a new standard of Internet services: RCN.COM.
The company officially launched its Internet brand today with a major print and radio advertising initiative throughout RCN's Boston to Washington, D.C. target market.
"This is an extremely significant moment for RCN, and for our current and future Internet customers, because it represents the integration of four successful and well-respected ISPs under a common RCN brand," said RCN Chairman and CEO David C. McCourt. "The combination of these four ISPs, real leaders in their respective markets, will allow RCN to set a new standard of excellence for Internet users, in terms of speed, service, value and support."
In addition to both dial-up and high-speed Internet services, RCN is currently offering local phone, long distance and cable television in several markets from Boston to Washington, D.C. over its own state-of-the-art fiber optic network.
Over the past year, RCN has gone from virtually no Internet customers to nearly 500,000 through four major acquisitions and strong internal growth. After the last acquisition, New England's JavaNet, RCN established an integration team to consolidate four independent ISPs and its existing operations as a common enterprise, served over a state-of-the-art fiber optic network and marketed under a unified and extremely strong brand. The launch of RCN.COM is the result of months of hard work by a team dedicated to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition for all RCN customers.
"This successful integration has brought four distinct and valuable companies, networks, and cultures together as part of a common enterprise offering service under a single brand," said David Epstein, JavaNet co-founder and now an RCN Senior Vice President. "The combination of these four Internet providers and RCN's state-of-the-art fiber optic network provides a distinct competitive advantage over other ISPs and a strong foundation for continued growth."
Under the integration announced today, all new RCN Internet customers will be given an "rcn.com" domain name or email address. Internet service to existing Erol's, UltraNet, JavaNet and Interport customers will not be interrupted and these customers will be able to retain their current e-mail addresses.
"The integration of Erol's, UltraNet, JavaNet, and Interport will help ensure that our customers have the finest on-line experience possible," said McCourt. "All of our customers will now benefit, as we have internally, from the expertise and resources made possible by effectively merging four of the country's leading ISPs."
In Washington, where RCN operates under the Starpower name in a joint venture with a subsidiary of Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO), the integration of the Erol's brand will begin in the First Quarter of 1999.
RCN Corporation is the nation's first and largest single-source, facilities based provider of telecommunications services to the residential market, the largest regional Internet service provider (ISP) in the Northeast and the nation's seventh largest ISP. The company is currently providing local and long distance phone, cable television and Internet services in several markets from Boston to Washington, D.C. RCN has expanded its target market to include California's San Francisco to San Diego corridor. Additional information about RCN's services may be found on the company's web site at rcn.com.
SOURCE RCN Corporation
/CONTACT: Valerie Haertel of Investor Relations, 609-734-3816, or Jim
Maiella of Public Relations, 212-376-4399, both of RCN/
/Company News On-Call: prnewswire.com or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 125089/
/Web site: rcn.com
(RCNC)
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