WideOpenWest Calls for Open Access

WideOpenWest LLC Thursday called on cable companies to open up access to rival Internet service providers in
the wake of its announcement Thursday to share cable access with Front Range Internet Inc.

The agreement allows Front Range Internet’s 10,000 customers in the Denver
metropolitan area take advantage of WideOpenWest’s broadband fiber optic
network.

WideOpenWest is a competitive local exchange carrier in Colorado and Texas
providing high-speed Internet access, Internet telephony, video on-demand
and digital cable services.

WideOpenWest has spent the past seven months obtaining franchise access for
cable services in several states while it builds out its fiber-coax data
backbone. It plans on completing the hybrid service rollout to Dallas,
Houston, Denver, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Portland, Ore. by the end of 2006.

Fiber installation has already begun in Jefferson County, Aurora, Greenwood
Village, Loveland and Commerce City in Colorado. Elections this fall will
determine whether WideOpenWest is awarded cable franchises in Denver and
Boulder.

Michael Steinkirchner, WideOpenWest public relations director, said
unlimited broadband availability is the heart of issue.

According to Steinkirchner, local exchange carriers crowd between 500 to
1,000 on one node for high-speed connections. All those people on one node
slow down connection speeds. He said WideOpenWest’s network will have only
150 customers per node, guaranteeing fast, reliable connection.

Mark Haverkate, WideOpenWest president and chief executive officer, issued
a challenge to all cable companies to open up access to their facilities.

“WideOpenWest has taken the industry lead on the issue of open access by
building a new high-capacity residential fiber optic network that is open
for use on a fair, non-discriminatory basis by any number of competing
ISPs,” Haverkate said. “This is in contrast to the closed access policy of
the cable operator that requires users to first purchase the cable
company’s exclusive brand of Internet service.”

WideOpenWest has gained the confidence of private investors. It recently
secured $53 million to fund its open platform cable system rollout from
Abry Broadcast Partners in Boston and Oakhill Capital Partners.

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