LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Nov. 5, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Windstream (NASDAQ: WIN ), a leading provider of advanced network communications, has completed significant service upgrades in approximately 600 markets across 12 states to bring faster Internet speeds of up to 100 megabits-per-second (Mbps) to residential and small business customers.
The upgrades come on the heels of Windstream's September announcement of faster speed availability in 250 initial markets. Combined, nearly one million households and small businesses now have access to premium speeds up to 100 Mbps in Windstream communities.
"At Windstream, we're dedicated to finding ways to better serve our customers, and understand that access to faster speeds is a critical component of that mission," said Sarah Day, senior vice president of Small Business and Consumer at Windstream. "We're proud of the progress Windstream is making to deliver new and improved services to our customers," said Day. "We are investing in families and businesses in rural and often under-served communities."
Expanded access to premium Internet speeds is another milestone for Windstream, which is laying the foundation for a faster, more reliable network. As a next step to the significant improvements made to its broadband speed profiles in 2015, Windstream announced Project Excel, a $250 million program that will accelerate the company's plans to further upgrade broadband speeds, allow for future network capacity needs, and improve reliability. This program is funded entirely by proceeds from the sale of Windstream's data center business and will significantly upgrade the company's broadband capabilities, improving the customer experience.
"Deploying premium Internet speeds to 1 million locations is a testament to Windstream's ability to execute quickly and deliver cutting-edge technology to our customers," said Tony Thomas, president and chief executive officer of Windstream. "Project Excel builds upon this success, enabling us to accelerate network infrastructure upgrades by two years, provide faster broadband speeds and address future capacity demands."
Premium speed availability is dependent upon geographic location. To find out if faster speeds are available for a specific home or small business, please visit http://www.windstream.com/premium-speed/ .
About Windstream
Windstream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: WIN ), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions for consumers, businesses, enterprise organizations and carrier partners across the U.S. Windstream offers bundled services, including broadband, security solutions, voice and digital TV to consumers. We also provide data, cloud solutions, unified communications and managed services to business and enterprise clients. The company supplies core transport solutions on a local and long-haul fiber-optic network spanning approximately 121,000 miles. Additional information is available at windstream.com . Please visit our newsroom at news.windstream.com or follow us on Twitter at @WindstreamNews .
Media Contact: David Fish, 501-748-4898 Jake Green, 646-747-7145
