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Optimum Lightpath Named North American 'Carrier Ethernet Service Provider of the Year' By Metro Ethernet Forum; Wins Prestigious 'Outstanding Innovation' Award From Global Telecom Industry Organization

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 09:00 CDT

Optimum Lightpath, the next-generation business broadband service provider of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC), has received the "Carrier Ethernet Service Provider of the Year - Outstanding Innovation" award among North American Carrier Ethernet providers. Presented at the GLOBALCOM 2006 conference in Chicago on June 6th by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), a global industry alliance whose mission is to accelerate worldwide adoption of carrier-class Ethernet networks and services, the award recognizes Optimum Lightpath's innovative delivery of this emerging technology to create voice and data communications solutions for businesses in the New York metropolitan area.

"Optimum Lightpath is honored to accept this prestigious award from the MEF, one that underscores our commitment to providing the highest quality Metro Ethernet business communications solutions," said Dave Pistacchio, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Optimum Lightpath. "We are proud to be acknowledged as a worldwide leader in our deployment of this technology, made possible by our advanced, all-fiber network, and to bring the competitive advantages of Metro Ethernet's reliability, speed, flexibility and value to Optimum Lightpath's growing customer base."

One of ten finalists, Optimum Lightpath was chosen by a panel of judges comprised of select North American industry analysts, press/media, and a representative from the Metro Ethernet Forum. It is the second major recognition the company has received from the MEF this year - in April, Optimum Lightpath was the only cable provider in North America, and only one of seven service providers in the world, to earn the MEF's distinguished "Carrier Ethernet" certification acknowledging the highest standards of Metro Ethernet technology and delivery.

"We recognize Optimum Lightpath for embracing innovation in the way it is packaging and marketing its Ethernet services, making it simple for businesses to find pricing information online and promoting the accessibility of this technology to a wider range of business organizations than ever before," said Nan Chen, President of the Metro Ethernet Forum. "By awarding both for technological innovation and business practice, the MEF is encouraging service providers not only to adopt Carrier Ethernet, but also to find imaginative ways to exploit its power and flexibility to integrate new service offerings with world-class business practices."

With more than 2,400 route miles of fiber in the ground, Optimum Lightpath owns and manages an advanced fiber network designed with the scalability to deliver virtually unlimited bandwidth capacity and network speeds. As a result, businesses get the advantage of a direct fiber connection that Optimum Lightpath constructs into their office building, allowing them to take full advantage of the high-speed connection of their choice without the bottlenecks that occur in the last mile of traditional phone company copper wiring.

Metro Ethernet simply and effectively enables organizations to replace outdated phone technology with a single solution that satisfies all of their telecommunications needs, including voice, data and Internet. Optimum Lightpath's highly-reliable Ethernet services offer very high speeds (10 Mbps up to 10 Gbps), and are delivered via the company's wholly-owned fiber optic network that runs directly into the customers' office locations. These Ethernet services can be used for high-capacity data transfer, Internet access or a combined Internet access/voice services bundle at a relatively inexpensive cost per bit.

"Optimum Lightpath gives every one of its customers the best standard network performance guarantee," said Kevin Curran, Optimum Lightpath's Senior Vice President of Marketing. "It doesn't matter how much they're spending a month or where they're located. We deliver and ensure the same high quality of services to all of our customers, as opposed to doing this on an individual case basis."

Businesses interested in learning more about Optimum Lightpath's Metro Ethernet services can visit http://www.metroethernetnow.com or call 1-877-LIGHTPATH.

About Optimum Lightpath

Optimum Lightpath, a business telecommunications services division of Cablevision Systems Corporation, uses the power of its reliable and resilient fully fiber optic network to deliver converged data, Internet and voice solutions to businesses throughout the New York metropolitan area. Since its formation 18 years ago, Optimum Lightpath built an advanced Fiber-to-the-business-Premises network extending more than 2,400 route miles throughout the tri-state area. As a result of owning and maintaining this state-of-the-art network, Optimum Lightpath is able to reliably provide scalable, high-capacity IP-based Metro Ethernet services that support high bandwidth data, Internet and voice applications and optimize the enterprise customer's quality of experience - at lower prices than traditional offerings. Optimum Lightpath has been recognized for eight straight years by the New York State Public Service Commission for delivering highly personalized customer service superior to the competition. In April 2006, Optimum Lightpath became one of the first service providers in the world and the only North American MSO to earn Carrier Ethernet certification from the Metro Ethernet Forum. For more information, visit www.optimumlightpath.com.

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, Optimum Online high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum 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. In addition to its telecommunications and programming businesses, Cablevision owns 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.

Source: Business Wire

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