WildBlue. High-speed Internet, Out of the Blue.

WildBlue Press Release

WildBlue Installs First Customer
06/03/2005

WildBlue First To Bring Affordable Rural Broadband To Consumers Across the Nation

Denver, CO - WildBlue Communications, Inc. today announced it has installed its first customer in Strasburg, Colorado, and the start of national availability of the WildBlue high speed Internet service across the United States.  WildBlue provides high-speed Internet connections to homes and small businesses in communities in the continental U.S. not currently served, or underserved, by other high speed providers.  WildBlue installed a 26-inch satellite dish and modem at David and Theresa Tuttles? home in Strasburg on June 2nd, marking WildBlue?s first customer and the beginning of WildBlue?s service rollout across the nation.

 

WildBlue CEO Tom Moore, Theresa Tuttle, David Tuttle, WildBlue CFO Ken Carroll?WildBlue is excited to begin smashing the digital divide in rural communities across the country,? said Tom Moore, CEO of WildBlue. ?This is a truly historic moment as we make affordable broadband available to virtually every home and small office across the U.S.?

 

Living two miles from their nearest neighbor, the Tuttles have only had standard dial-up Internet service until now.  ?This is going to be so awesome,? exclaimed Theresa Tuttle.  ?We are so excited.  We have tumbleweeds and dirt, no Kmart or big grocery store, and I have no complaints as far as that goes.  But with the digital world and where we?re headed, getting on the Internet just isn?t fast enough.?  The Tuttles have big plans for their new high-speed Internet service.  Theresa owns and operates her own professional photography business, and is looking forward to moving into the digital world, as well as furthering her education.  In addition to taking driver?s education courses over the Internet, her two teenage boys are thrilled to learn more about online games and the chance to play against their friends; they are also excited not to have to wait to dial in given WildBlue?s ?always on? service. David Tuttle plans on using the Internet more to help him rebuild a classic 1968 Firebird, and generally to surf the Web at fast speeds.

 

?WildBlue now offers rural broadband to smaller towns and communities across the nation,? continued WildBlue?s Tom Moore.  ?If it wasn?t for WildBlue, families like the Tuttles would be on dial-up for a long time to come, and would not have access to many of the benefits that the Internet can offer. WildBlue opens up a world of rich content that is largely unavailable through dial-up service and largely unavailable in areas unserved by cable modem or DSL services.  The WildBlue service will now allow customers in more remote areas to more easily jump onto the information superhighway.?

 

?Rural areas throughout this country now have an affordable option to receive reliable high-speed broadband Internet access,? said United States Congressman Mark Udall in support of WildBlue. ?The benefits the Internet has provided are invaluable.  However, access to this technology has created a divide between haves and have-nots in our country.  I am excited at the new opportunities being presented to rural communities?by WildBlue and I support them as they begin to provide this service throughout the state and the nation.?

 

In honor of this event, Colorado Governor Bill Owens also declared May 30 ? June 4 ?Rural Broadband Week.?  In his proclamation, Governor Owens stated, ??the State of Colorado recognizes the ever-increasing importance of technology in modern life, and commends all efforts to bring broadband internet access to the rural communities of this state.?

 

Bijou Telephone Cooperative (Bijou), a member of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), installed WildBlue?s first customer and will be the first to offer the WildBlue service to their customers.  Bijou provides telephone and dial-up Internet services to approximately 2,500 customers along the I-70 corridor from the East side of Denver to Limon, Colorado. 

 

As previously announced, the WildBlue service is being rolled out by NRTC members during the month of June, and will be offered by over 280 rural electric and telephone companies by the end of the month.  WildBlue plans to add rural consumer electronics and satellite TV dealers across the country over the following few months, and expects to reach national retail availability of its service by September 2005.

 

The company will offer three service packages to consumers and small businesses:  Value Pack - $49.95 per month for download speeds up to 512 kbps and upload speeds up to 128 kbps; Select Pack - $69.95 per month for download speeds up to 1.0 Mbps and upload speeds up to 200 kbps; and Pro Pack - $79.95 per month for download speeds up to 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds up to 256 kbps.  All packages include ISP services such as e-mail and Web space, the WildBlue Portal (featuring the latest news, information and entertainment), 24 by 7 customer care, and an equipment warranty.  WildBlue will initially offer its equipment package for $299.00 and professional installation for $179.95.  Free installation will be offered by NRTC members as a special rollout promotion.

An always-on broadband Internet connection, WildBlue's wireless service provides two-way wireless high-speed data in both directions.  Customers will not need an additional phone or cable line or the expense of a traditional dial-up ISP in order to receive broadband Internet access. The service is easy to install, and requires no software installation on customers? computers.

Consumers and businesses who are interested in obtaining WildBlue?s high speed Internet service should visit www.wildblue.com.   Customers or media outlets interested in following the launch progress should visit the WildBlue Press Room.  For a listing of NRTC members and the geographic territories that they will serve, please visit NRTC WildBlue dealer locator.

About WildBlue
WildBlue Communications, Inc. was established to provide broadband access to consumers and small offices in rural areas and small cities. WildBlue Communication's high-speed satellite broadband service is easy to use, reliable, always on, and significantly faster than standard dial-up service.  It opens up a window to a world of rich content that is largely unavailable through dial-up service and is accessible in areas traditionally unserved by cable modem or DSL service. Service is available in the continental United States. For more information visit www.wildblue.com. 

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