5 MAR, 2004 - 1455 CST
This item comes to you courtesy of the Indiana Section Manager.
I love the italicized disclaimer statement. Looks like Cinergy
Broadband
LLC is disclaiming a lot of the English language. :) Investor
beware.
73 - Dick, W9GIG
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Cinergy News Release
Cinergy and Current Communications to Offer Broadband Services Over
Power Lines
CINCINNATI, March 2, 2004 — Cinergy Broadband, LLC, a subsidiary of
Cinergy Corp. (NYSE:CIN), and Current Communications Group, LLC announced
today they are beginning to offer broadband over power line (BPL)
services in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area. A subsequent expansion is
planned for Northern Kentucky and Indiana.
Cinergy Broadband and Current have formed a joint venture that will roll
out broadband services under the brand Current Communications™.
Initially, these services will consist of high-speed internet and will
eventually be bundled with voice over IP (VoIP). Current will manage the
venture, which will build and operate the BPL network and provide
marketing, customer support and back office functionality. The BPL
network will be deployed on electric distribution infrastructure using
proven, proprietary BPL equipment and technology from Current’s
subsidiary, Current Technologies, LLC.
The companies have also created a second joint venture to pursue the
deployment of BPL to targeted municipal-owned power companies and rural
electric cooperatives across the United States. This joint venture will
be managed by Cinergy Broadband and will market Current’s BPL technology
to its target customer utilities.
In addition to the joint ventures, Cinergy has made an investment in
Current as part of a larger round of financing. In the financing,
Current’s existing investors, Liberty Associated Partners, LP and
EnerTech Capital, LP, have each contributed additional capital. The
aggregate amount of financial commitment to Current and the BPL ventures
by all parties in these transactions exceeds $70 million.
The decision to roll out broadband services, initially in southwest Ohio
and northern Kentucky, follows a trial of the technology and broadband
service offering with more than 100 residential customers and several
business customers in the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati. The trial
produced high customer satisfaction and a strong interest in enrolling in
the commercial service.
For Internet users, Current’s BPL service offers:
- "Always on" high speed Internet access from power outlets
throughout the home or business
- Upload and download access at the same speeds using readily
available, off- the-shelf HomePlug® power line modems
- Local area networking from all power outlets over existing electrical
wiring
- Faster speeds (in excess of 3 mbps) at lower monthly cost than other
broadband services
- Multiple speeds and pricing plans to meet individual needs and
budgets
- Truly "Plug and Play" installation and activation within
minutes
- All with no need to add any in-home wiring
"Customers will be amazed at the speed, low cost and
reliability of BPL, as well as its ease of use," said William J.
Grealis, executive vice president of Cinergy and president of Cinergy
Broadband.
"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to partner with
Cinergy and provide consumers with the newest generation of broadband
services," said Ronald Boillat, President and COO of Current
Communications Services, LLC, Current’s broadband services subsidiary.
Broadband services are being offered to consumers and small businesses
initially in Hyde Park. Other areas where the service will be offered
over the next six months are expected to include Wyoming, Delhi and
Terrace Park, as well as other communities in and around Cincinnati.
Customers will receive mailings announcing availability in their area as
the service is rolled out.
Cinergy and Current also will use Current Technologies™ BPL equipment to
implement important new services that will provide improved reliability
and increased efficiency for Cinergy’s utility subsidiaries and their
customers. BPL technology can enable a variety of enhanced power
distribution applications, including:
- Automated outage detection and restoration confirmation
- Remote monitoring and operation of switches and transformers
- Remote capability to connect and disconnect electric service
- More efficient demand-side management programs
- Automated meter reading
Cinergy has a balanced, integrated portfolio consisting of two core
businesses: regulated operations and energy merchant. Cinergy’s regulated
delivery operations in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky serve 1.5 million
electric customers and about 500,000 gas customers. In addition, its
Indiana regulated operations own 7,000 megawatts of generation. Cinergy’s
energy merchant business is a Midwest leader in low-cost generation
owning 6,300 megawatts of capacity with a profitable balance of stable
existing customer portfolios, new customer origination, marketing and
trading, and industrial-site cogeneration. The "into Cinergy"
power- trading hub is the most liquid trading hub in the nation.
Current Communications Group, LLC is a privately held company based in
Germantown, Maryland. Current develops innovative power line equipment
and technology for delivering broadband services over power lines.
Current is backed by Liberty Associated Partners, LP, Enertech Capital
and Cinergy. Liberty Associated Partners is a private investment fund
focusing on private equity investments in telecommunications, media,
Internet and related technology companies and is managed by the
Associated Group, LLC. Enertech Capital is a private equity firm that
invests exclusively in service and technology companies emerging from and
capitalizing on the reshaping of the energy, utility, and
telecommunications markets. Many of the investors in Enertech Capital’s
funds are major U.S. and international utilities.
Click here to visit the
Current Communications web site.
This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are based on
management's beliefs and assumptions. These forward-looking statements
are identified by terms and phrases such as "anticipate",
"believe", "intend", "estimate",
"expect", "continue", "should",
"could", "may", "plan",
"project", "predict", "will", and similar
expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual results to be materially different from the results
predicted. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those indicated in any forward-looking statement include, but are
not limited to, unanticipated weather conditions; unscheduled generation
outages; unusual maintenance or repairs; unanticipated changes in costs;
environmental incidents, including costs of compliance with existing and
future environmental requirements; electric transmission or gas pipeline
system constraints; legislative and regulatory initiatives; additional
competition in electric or gas markets and continued industry
consolidation; financial or regulatory accounting principles; political,
legal, and economic conditions and developments in the countries in which
we have a presence; changing market conditions and other factors related
to physical energy and financial trading activities; the performance of
projects undertaken by our non-regulated businesses and the success of
efforts to invest in and develop new opportunities; availability of, or
cost of, capital; employee workforce factors; delays and other obstacles
associated with mergers, acquisitions, and investments in joint ventures;
and costs and effects of legal and administrative proceedings,
settlements, investigations, and claims. Please refer to the company's
SEC filings for additional information concerning factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to
update the information contained herein.
Cinergy Corp., 139 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
1-800-544-6900
Copyright © 1996-2004 Cinergy All Rights Reserved.
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