Cablevision's Optimum Online Increases Average Downstream Speed 40 Percent With No Price Increase Customers Now Experiencing Average Downstream Speeds of 5 Megabits Per Second, Maximum Speed Remains 10 Megabits Per Second BETHPAGE, N.Y., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cablevision's Optimum Online(R), the New York metropolitan area's fastest and most reliable broadband service for the home, has unveiled new television advertisements to announce that Optimum Online customers are now experiencing average downstream speeds of 5 megabits per second, a 40 percent increase from just two years ago, at no additional cost. The maximum possible downstream speed through the service is being maintained at 10 megabits per second. With the increased average speed, Optimum Online is now more than triple the speed of DSL and more than 150 times faster than dial-up Internet access. "This advertising is designed to communicate in clear and compelling terms that the fastest and most reliable high-speed Internet service in the New York metropolitan area is now even faster and more valuable," said Gemma Toner, Cablevision's senior vice president of high-speed data products. "Our mission is to deliver the very best, easiest and most rewarding Internet experience possible, and our customers agree that in the markets we serve there is nothing that even comes close to the Optimum Online experience." In the first of two television advertisements designed to reinforce this significant speed increase, a team of engineers cuts a red ribbon to mark the introduction of the new, faster Internet. A second commercial, slated to appear later this month, features an Optimum Online "marathon runner" leaving DSL and dial-up runners in the dust. Both spots include the concept that Optimum Online offers a gateway to a superior Internet experience. Optimum Online's industry-leading speeds have supported the development and continued enhancement of Optimum Online's consumer portal, OptOnline.net, which provides a gateway to the very best in broadband content, multimedia programming, local information and convenient access to round-the-clock award-winning technical support. "Whether sending digital photos, downloading music or visiting Web sites and Internet portals that feature multimedia content and advanced applications, speed is an increasingly important factor in making full and effective use of the Internet," Toner continued. "Our fully-upgraded network is designed to deliver enormous bandwidth to each customer, and this superior platform is one of the key reasons that three out of four broadband customers in our market choose Optimum Online." Cablevision accomplished this average speed increase by upgrading its Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTSs) to a higher capacity, in addition to upgrading and replacing existing chassis with higher capacity CPUs. By designing and operating a fiber-to-the-neighborhood network that is currently serving fewer than 500 homes per fiber node, Cablevision has been able to sustain tremendous subscriber growth while increasing speed to all Internet customers at the same time. The former average downstream speed experienced by Optimum Online customers was 3.5 megabits per second. The Optimum Online customer base has nearly doubled over the past two years, from 610,000 in June, 2002 to nearly 1.2 million on June 30, 2004. Average customer penetration of homes-passed across Cablevision's service area continues to lead the industry at nearly 27 percent, with penetration rates exceeding 50 percent in mature markets including areas of Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Westchester. Across Cablevision's service area, 75 percent of all broadband customers choose Optimum Online. About Cablevision Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation's leading entertainment and telecommunications companies. Its cable television operations serve more than 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area. The company's advanced telecommunications offerings include its iO: Interactive Optimum digital television offering, Optimum Online high-speed Internet service, Optimum Voice digital voice-over-cable service, and its Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings LLC operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, WE and other national and regional networks. Rainbow also is a 50 percent partner in Fox Sports Net. In 2003, Cablevision's Rainbow DBS launched its VOOM satellite service, the first service to offer a comprehensive array of high-definition (HD) television programming. In addition to its telecommunications and programming businesses, Cablevision is the controlling owner of Madison Square Garden and its sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The company also operates New York's famed Radio City Music Hall, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas. Additional information about Cablevision Systems Corporation is available on the Web at http://www.cablevision.com/. DATASOURCE: Cablevision Systems Corporation CONTACT: Jim Maiella, +1-516-803-3947, or Marie Stenberg, +1-516-803-2352, both of Cablevision Systems Corporation Web site: http://www.cablevision.com/

Copyright