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132 West 31st. Street 13 fl.
New York, NY 10001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2000
CONTACT: Robert Jewels 212-324-5080
PR@Electricfiber.com
CONTACT:Michael S. Clendenin 212-460-4111
clendeninm@coned.com
CONSOLIDATED EDISON
COMMUNICATIONS ENTERS NEW YORK CITY
FIBER-OPTIC TRANSPORT MARKET
New York, N.Y. – In a development
that will streamline the delivery of broadband services in New York
City, Consolidated Edison Communications, Inc. (CEC) announced today
that it has been awarded a franchise to provide fiber-optic transport
services throughout the five boroughs.
The newly franchised company, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., (NYSE-ED) is a
"carrier’s carrier." As such, it provides wholesale, carrier-grade
fiber-optic transport services for "the last mile," connecting
telecommunications carriers and Internet service providers for the
distance between their own networks and individual buildings. The
franchise agreement was finalized on October 13th.
"CEC has the expertise needed to
deliver service to millions of homes and offices at a time of
exponential telecommunications growth," said Peter Rust, CEC President
and Chief Executive Officer. "This franchise allows us to play an
important role in developing the city’s economic future."
CEC plans to install more than
112,000 fiber-strand miles (460 route miles) by the end of year 2005,
and to interconnect more than 1,000 buildings in this time period. This
will allow CEC’s network to be within one and one-half blocks from any
building in Manhattan. "Our proximity to buildings will allow CEC to
provide broadband services much more quickly than customers can get
today," said Rust.
CEC’s new, state-of-the-art network
will use Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and Synchronous Optical
Network (SONET) technologies, providing services such as traditional
Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Ethernet (Fast and Gigabit),
Wavelengths, and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) services. According to
Felipe Alvarez, CEC’s Chief Operating Officer, "The network is
self-healing, and more efficient, reliable and flexible than many
existing networks."
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CON EDISON COMMUNICATIONS page 2
CEC’s hub, at 111 Eighth Avenue in
New York City’s "Silicon Alley," currently serves as the site from which
customers can easily connect with other network providers. Additional
hubs are planned for lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
CEC’s market includes local,
national and global telecommunications carriers; data and voice
communications companies; Internet service providers (ISPs); application
service providers (ASPs); building owners; wireless companies, and
large-business customers.
CEC is partnered with Neon
Communications (NEON), which provides long-haul fiber-optic transport
services linking cities from Maine to Washington, D.C.
Consolidated Edison
Communications, Inc. (CEC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated
Edison, Inc. CEC is a facilities-based "carrier’s carrier," offering
unprecedented speed, reliability and flexibility to a wide variety of
business customers, including datacom/telecom carriers, Internet service
providers, application service providers and building owners. Its 100
percent fiber-optic network extends nearly unlimited capacity to the
customer’s doorstep, often referred to as "the last mile."
Consolidated Edison, Inc. is
one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with more
than $8 billion in annual revenues and $16 billion in assets. The
company provides a wide range of energy-related products and services to
its customers through two regulated utility subsidiaries and four
competitive energy and telecommunications businesses.
For additional information about
Consolidated Edison Communications visit its website at
www.electricfiber.com
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