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Princeton, N.J. – March 1, 2022 – Astound Broadband (Astound), the sixth-largest U.S. cable provider, powered by leading regional providers RCN, Grande Communications (Grande), Wave Broadband (Wave) and enTouch Systems (enTouch), is waiving customer fees associated with calling Ukraine from the United States. Starting February 28th, international calling charges for Astound Broadband phone customers will be waived when calling Ukraine through March 31st.

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About Astound Broadband

Astound Broadband (astound.com) is the sixth largest cable operator in the U.S., providing award-winning high speed internet, broadband communications solutions, TV, phone services and fiber optic solutions for residential  and business customers across the United States. Astound Broadband is comprised of organizations formerly  known as RCN, Grande Communications, Wave Broadband, and enTouch. The company services Chicago, Indiana, Eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City, Maryland, Washington, DC, Texas, regions  throughout California, Oregon and Washington.

Eligible participants can enter sweepstakes for a chance to win weekly, monthly, and ‘grand’ prizes

Princeton, N.J. – February 9, 2022 – Astound Broadband (Astound), the sixth-largest U.S. cable provider, powered by leading regional providers RCN, Grande Communications (Grande), Wave Broadband (Wave) and enTouch Systems (enTouch), has announced the opening of its Astounding Mega Giveaway customer sweepstakes.

Through March 31, 2022, both existing and non-current residential customers can submit entry to the giveaway for a chance to win a host of exciting weekly, monthly, and grand prizes, including a virtual reality (VR) headset, 4K UHD Smart TV, a number of popular headphones, streaming devices, cookware and gift cards ranging from $50-$1,000 and much more.

All sweepstakes entries must be made by completing the online entry form. All entrants are required to provide valid, up-to-date contact information to be eligible for the giveaway prizes. By entering the Astounding Mega Giveaway, all qualified submissions become eligible to win a prize. As for prizes, “Weekly Winners” will be selected on or about February 7, February 14, February 21, February 28, March 7, March 14, March 21, and April 1, 2022. “Monthly Winners” will be selected on or about March 1, and April 1. “Grand Prize Winners” will be selected on or about April 1, 2022. Winners will receive an email and/or phone call within 48-72 hours of selection.

Last month, the company’s regional brands (RCN, Grande, enTouch, Wave, Digital West) united under the name Astound Broadband (Astound), which reflects both the evolution of the company as well as its vision for the future. Astound Broadband is at the forefront of the residential connectivity transformation, providing customers award-winning services in eight of the top ten metro areas in the country. Motivated by accolades that focus on meeting and exceeding customer needs, the Astound Broadband name demonstrates the company’s dedication to continuing to astound customers, every day.

To see the full list of prizes, official rules, and sweepstakes details, visit astound.com/mega-giveaway.

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About Astound Broadband

Astound Broadband (astound.com) is the sixth largest cable operator in the U.S., providing award-winning high speed internet, broadband communications solutions, TV, phone services and fiber optic solutions for residential  and business customers across the United States. Astound Broadband is comprised of organizations formerly  known as RCN, Grande Communications, Wave Broadband, and enTouch. The company services Chicago, Indiana, Eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City, Maryland, Washington, DC, Texas, regions  throughout California, Oregon and Washington.

The unified customer-focused brand serves eight of top 10 metro markets in U.S.

PRINCETON, N.J – January 12, 2022 – RCN, Grande, Wave, enTouch and Digital West, who together form the  sixth largest U.S. internet, TV and phone operator, announced plans to transition its regional brands to Astound  Broadband (Astound) effective immediately. Astound Broadband serves eight of the top ten metro markets with  continued focus on customer service and providing critical infrastructure to local communities. Astound  Broadband reflects both the evolution of the company as well as its vision for the future.  

“This is an exciting time for our company with our new name solidifying our commitment to ‘astound’ our  customers each and every day through our national fiber-rich network, fast reliable service, mission-critical  connectivity, and award -winning customer service,” said Jim Holanda, CEO of Astound Broadband. “Keeping  ourselves grounded in our deep-rooted focus on customer service is at the core of what we do. We’ve been part  of our local communities for years. Our dedicated teams will continue to serve the areas where they live and  work. “ 

Starting today and throughout the coming weeks, Astound will systematically update the branding of all its  properties and assets, ranging from vehicles and signs, to websites, collateral, uniforms, and more. To  emphasize strong continued regional service focus, each entity will retain sub-brands under the Astound  umbrella with Astound Broadband powered by RCN, in the Northeastern US, Astound Broadband powered by  Grande in Texas and Astound Broadband powered by Wave, on the West Coast. Recently acquired systems  Harris Broadband in Central Texas and WOW!’s Illinois, Indiana and Maryland markets will follow by mid-year.  

For business services, the combined companies will be unified as Astound Business Solutions. With 31,000 route  miles of fiber across the country, the company will continue to fuel innovation and meet customer needs  including alternate fiber paths to protect against loss of data or workflow during an outage, essential for small  and enterprise businesses. 

Astound Broadband reflects years of accolades achieved under Holanda’s management team that oversees the  regional operations. The most recent awards include PCMag’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards, PCMag’s 2021 Business Choice Awards, PCMag’s 2021 Fastest ISPs of 2021, and U.S. News & World Report’s Best Internet  Service Providers of 2021 list. Motivated by accolades that focus on meeting and exceeding customer needs,  the Astound Broadband name demonstrates the company’s dedication to continuing to astound customers,  every day. 

Astound Broadband’s customer service team will continue to serve customers with 24/7/365, access to virtual call centers located across the nation. Customers will continue to have access to the company’s variety of high speed communication offerings, all existing services without interruption. Astound Broadband is at the forefront  of the residential and business connectivity transformation, providing customers award-winning services across  the country. Astound Broadband and Astound Business Solutions provide services in eight of the top ten metro  areas in the U.S. To learn more, please visit astound.com.  

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About Astound Broadband 

Astound Broadband (astound.com) is the sixth largest cable operator in the U.S., providing award-winning high speed internet, broadband communications solutions, TV, phone services and fiber optic solutions for residential  and business customers across the United States. Astound Broadband is comprised of organizations formerly  known as RCN, Grande Communications, Wave Broadband, and enTouch. The company services Chicago, 

Indiana, Eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City, Maryland, Washington, DC, Texas, regions  throughout California, Oregon and Washington.

Award-winning, national broadband provider implements succession plan following notable retirements and growth

PRINCETON, N.J. – November 16, 2021 – RCN, an award-winning provider of high-speed internet, digital TV and phone services today announced a new addition and several changes at the senior management level of its company as a result of its recent expansion and pending retirements.

Doug Guthrie recently joined RCN as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the New York market. In his new position, Guthrie will be responsible for residential and business customer operations, technical support, and developing and implementing marketing and sales strategies. Prior to this, Guthrie served as a Senior Vice President at Comcast Cable and brings over 34 years of experience in the communications industry. Doug spent nearly twenty years at Comcast and is one of the few who has worked in all three of their divisions, as well as the corporate office.

Sanford Ames, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., markets will now add oversight and management of the Boston market to his responsibilities. Ames joined the RCN team in 2011 and has significantly impacted the markets he manages. Under his tenure, Lehigh Valley’s customer base has risen by 40% and he has been recognized as one of the most influential businesspeople in the Greater Lehigh Valley area.

Tori Faulkenberry, Vice President of Customer Care at RCN was recently promoted to Senior Vice President of Customer Care. As SVP, Faulkenberry will be spearheading customer service, training, performance management, sales, and operational efficiencies. For over 20 years, she has developed, restructured and expanded organizations in competitive environments, and plans to continue to elevate RCN from within.

Michael McPhillips has recently joined the RCN team as Vice President of Business Solutions for the company’s Central Region. McPhillips has more than 20 years of telecommunications industry experience, building and leading high performing teams over large and diverse regions. He joins from Comcast and has a consistent track record of exceeding revenue targets in high growth and startup environments and plans to continue those successes in his new role.

After long tenures, those retiring from RCN include Bill Sievers, Senior Vice President of Customer Care; Jeff Carlson, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Boston; Bruce Abbott, Senior Vice President and General Manager, New York; Ted White, Vice President of the Central Region; Ken Conrad, Vice President of Human Resources, and Tom Steel, Vice President, Regulatory & Public Affairs.

“We are excited Doug and Michael are joining the RCN team and thrilled to elevate Sanford and Tori’s roles within the company,” said Chris Fenger, COO of RCN. “These colleagues are highly trusted and respected veterans in the industry and have successful track records in their fields. Sanford, Tori, Doug and Michael are very accomplished individuals with extraordinary abilities to transform, inspire and drive positive change. Through their leadership and strategic insights, our company can expect to continue to deliver growth and innovation with an unwavering commitment to our customers. We also want to thank Bill, Jeff, Bruce, Ted, Ken and Tom for their dedication and hard work over the years. They have been instrumental in guiding our business in their respective areas for many years and we wish them a happy, healthy, and well-deserved retirement.”

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About Astound Broadband

Astound Broadband (astound.com) is the sixth largest cable operator in the U.S., providing award-winning high speed internet, broadband communications solutions, TV, phone services and fiber optic solutions for residential  and business customers across the United States. Astound Broadband is comprised of organizations formerly  known as RCN, Grande Communications, Wave Broadband, and enTouch. The company services Chicago, Indiana, Eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City, Maryland, Washington, DC, Texas, regions  throughout California, Oregon and Washington.

PRINCETON, N.J. – November 1, 2021 – Astound Broadband (Astound), the sixth largest U.S. cable operator in the United States that operates leading regional providers RCN, Grande, Wave, and enTouch has completed the acquisition of the broadband systems of WideOpenWest, Inc. (WOW!) located in Chicago, IL, Evansville, IN, and Anne Arundel, MD for $661 million.

With the closing of this transaction, Astound expands its existing network footprint and customer base in these new markets. The acquired broadband systems serve approximately 128,000 residential and business customers, pass more than 700,000 homes, and include 5,700 miles of plant.

“Astound Broadband’s acquisition of WOW!’s Illinois, Indiana, and Maryland markets significantly advances our footprint in areas largely adjacent to the company’s existing operations,” said Jim Holanda, CEO of Astound Broadband. “This expansion enables us to leverage incumbent fiber-rich network assets, nearby operations talent, award winning customer service, and a strong product set to serve even more customers. We’re excited to officially welcome WOW! customers and colleagues to Astound.”

Since the transaction was initially announced in June 2021, both companies have been preparing to transition employees and customers in WOW!’s Chicago, IL, Evansville, IN, and Ann Arundel, MD service areas to Astound Broadband. In the short term, the acquired markets will continue to operate without interruption under the WOW! name and trademark and will be rebranded following the integration period.

“With Astound Broadband, WOW! has found a good steward for our operations in Chicago, Evansville, and Ann Arundel,” said Teresa Elder, WOW! CEO. “The team at Astound shares the same employee and customer-centric culture and values and has the resources and commitment to provide the same quality of service our customers have come to expect from WOW!.”

JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are acting as financial advisors to Astound and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as legal advisor. Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is acting as regulatory advisor, with Deloitte & Touche LLP serving as tax and accounting advisor.

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About Astound Broadband

Astound Broadband (astound.com) is the sixth largest cable operator in the U.S., providing award-winning high speed internet, broadband communications solutions, TV, phone services and fiber optic solutions for residential  and business customers across the United States. Astound Broadband is comprised of organizations formerly  known as RCN, Grande Communications, Wave Broadband, and enTouch. The company services Chicago, Indiana, Eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City, Maryland, Washington, DC, Texas, regions  throughout California, Oregon and Washington.