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To: ahhaha who wrote (17703)12/8/1999 3:58:00 PM
From: red_dog  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 29970
 
I have no idea if this helps anyone here, but I received this a few minutes ago. For what it's worth.

Rg

Dear Comcast @Home Subscriber,

We are writing to inform you of changes to your Comcast @Home service.

In an effort to proactively manage overall network performance, Comcast
@Home will be deploying 128 kbps upstream rate management in your market
after December 29, 1999. This is an initiative that has already been
completed in several Comcast @Home markets and will be completed nationwide
over the course of the next several months. This initiative will set the
upstream data transfer rates for all Comcast @Home customers to 128 kbps.
It should be noted that your downstream data transfer rates will not be
changed and you may see an improvement in your level of service as a result
of this deployment.

To be clear, upstream traffic is data that is sent from your computer to
the Internet and would include requesting a URL like www.excite.com in your
browser or sending e-mail. Downstream traffic is data sent from the
Internet to your computer and is the result of your requests to the
Internet. Receiving the contents of a specific web site like www.excite.com
or downloading files from the Internet are examples of downstream traffic.
The vast majority of Internet traffic for any residential service is on the
downstream path and high downstream rates are what make web pages come up
quicker and file downloads occur faster.

The need for this network change is tied directly to the usage patterns of
a small minority of our user base. The availability of unprecedented
bandwidth in the residential Internet market has prompted some users to
engage in activities that are inconsistent with our current residential
service and require a disproportionate amount of network resources. They
are, in essence, creating a less than optimal experience for the vast
majority of our subscribers. By setting the upstream rate to a specific
level, we are taking steps to level the playing field and minimize the
impact felt from those who are not using the residential service as it is
intended.

Please refer to the links and frequently asked questions at the end of this
message for more information on acceptable uses of the Comcast @Home
residential service. We are aware that some of our users may require
different levels of service and are consistently striving to provide the
type of service to meet the needs of our entire customer base. We are
hopeful that we can develop additional product offerings to better suit
those needs.

We continue to make every effort to deliver the best service at the best
price possible for residential cable Internet service and we thank you for
your understanding and support in this matter.

Sincerely,



To: ahhaha who wrote (17703)12/8/1999 4:20:00 PM
From: Foad  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 29970
 
Excite@Home Sees Profit In 4Q, Excluding Goodwill

NEW YORK -- Excite@Home (ATHM) expects to report a profit - excluding goodwill amortization from acquisitions - for the first time in the fourth quarter, followed by increasing profits in 2000.

Excite@Home Chief Financial Officer Ken Goldman said the company reported a loss of $4 million in the third quarter, "and our goal is to turn that positive this quarter." He didn't specify a per-share estimate; the First Call/Thomson Financial analysts' consensus predicts break-even results in the fourth quarter. The high-speed Internet service provider and Web portal operator lost one cent a share in the third quarter, excluding goodwill.

In the year-ago fourth quarter, the company posted a loss of three cents a share, excluding goodwill and adjusted to reflect the merger of Excite and AtHome.

In a presentation at the PaineWebber media conference here Wednesday, Goldman said he expects the company to post increasing quarterly profits throughout 2000. The First Call consensus predicts earnings of 16 cents a share in 2000. Goldman projected revenue of $420 million in 1999, rising to $700 million in 2000 and $2 billion in 2002.

Excite@Home expects to close next week on its $780 million acquisition of Bluemountainarts.com, an online greeting card provider, Goldman said. The value of the deal could rise to about $1 billion if Bluemountain meets certain financial performance goals.

When it announced the pricey Bluemountain acquisition in October, Excite@Home billed it as part of a strategy to expand its "narrowband" offerings while it builds its network of cable-modem, high-speed Internet subscribers. Narrowband refers to the Excite Web portal, most users of which still have slower, dial-up connections.

Goldman said Excite@Home would pursue additional acquisitions to beef up its narrowband offerings, but none as large as the Bluemountainarts purchase. With these acquisitions, Goldman expects Excite@Home's content to reach about 45% of all Internet users in 2000, up from the 36% Media Metrix Inc., the Web rating service cites for October.

The At Home business, which provides high-speed Web access using cable modems, recently passed the 1 million subscriber mark. Goldman noted that this solidifies its position as the No. 1 provider of high-speed Internet service.

Under exclusive deals with more than 20 cable operators, Excite@Home has the opportunity to sell its service to millions more cable subscribers. Its current penetration rate for this market is about 4.5% to 5%, Goldman said. He expects that rise to about 8.5% to 9% in 2000.

Goldman reiterated the company's position that it was not surprised by the letter jointly sent to the Federal Communications Commission by AT&T Corp. (T) and MindSpring Enterprises Inc. (MSPG). In the letter, AT&T said it supported the notion of opening up its sprawling cable systems to multiple Internet service providers after its exclusive deal with Excite@Home expires in 2002. MindSpring said it, too, supported the concept, but it wants AT&T to find a way to open its system even sooner.

Goldman said he believes AT&T wants a long-term relationship with Excite@Home after the exclusive contract expires. He also pointed out that Excite@Home has more than 20 other exclusive cable contracts, some of which run until 2007.

-By Peter Loftus, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5267;
e-mail: peter.loftus@dowjones.com



To: ahhaha who wrote (17703)12/8/1999 10:30:00 PM
From: Solid  Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 29970
 
What is that Bob Dylan said, "the first ones now will later be last, oh, the times they are a changin'

Dylan also had another appropriate verse,

'...while the shepherds sleep
And the valley is filled with lost sheep.
For the line's been drawn
And the fighting is strong
And they're breaking down the distance
Between right and wrong.'

Noticed tonight on the way home, I was behind a TCI install truck. The driver was reading a street map at the light.

This was 7 P.M. and still @it.

The left tailgate sticker read, 'On time guaranteed'
The right tailgate sticker read, 'We subscribe to the good driver policy, etc...'

They are plugging their image wherever possible.

Bloomberg tonight said 9 million cable Internet users by 2003, no source quoted.

Ah, was that you I saw at the Grand Funk concert at the Long Island Civic Center in '72, wearing the Dylan t-shirt?