Article on Merging Technologies

Greetings. Here's an article that Carmanfan1 sent me a couple of days ago, on merging technologies. Specifically, it tells of the pending cooperation of several Cable, cellular and broadband companies. Read on for more. The formatting on this particular article is weird. If you use a screen reader, set your reader to "read all" or "say all." If you can see and you're reading this, then my humble apologies. Enjoy.

Tens of millions nationwide to have access to the 'Quadruple Play'
integrating video, voice, Internet and wireless capabilities

NEW YORK, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:
S), Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), Time Warner Cable -- a unit

of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse
Communications today announced they will form a joint venture that will
accelerate

the convergence of video entertainment, wireline and wireless data and
communications products and services to the approximately 41 million
customers currently

served by four of the country's largest cable companies as well as to
Sprint's nearly 46 million wireless subscribers. The venture has the
potential to

serve approximately 75 million homes currently passed by the cable
companies.

The companies in the joint venture will work to develop converged next
generation products for consumers that combine the best of cable's core
products

and interactive features with the vast potential of wireless technology to
deliver services anywhere, any time. Leveraging the expertise, technical
leadership

and customer focus of Sprint and four of the largest, most successful cable
and broadband communications companies will provide millions of customers
access

to the most advanced integrated entertainment, communications and wireless
products available anywhere in the United States.

Terms of the Agreement

The joint venture, which is mutually exclusive for three years and has a
20-year term, calls for a combined initial financial commitment of $200
million,

$100 million of which will be committed by Sprint and $100 million of which
will be committed collectively by the cable companies. The investment is
expected

to be used to fund the development of the converged services, national
marketing initiatives and back office integration. The companies contemplate
additional

participation from other cable companies.

Beginning in 2006, the companies in the joint venture plan to:

-- Offer consumers access to the expanded four element bundle, or

"Quadruple Play," or any combination of services including video,

wireless voice and data services, high speed Internet and cable phone

service

-- Serve growing consumer demand for a wireless "third screen" beyond the

TV and computer screens

-- Develop and introduce new co-branded wireless devices that will provide

new and unique features that integrate cable and wireless services all

on a single device

-- Sell and market these co-branded products and services to customers

through a combination of 1,600 Sprint retail stores, cable retail

outlets and other third-party distributors, including thousands of

RadioShack stores

Unlike MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) or other wholesale
relationships, the companies participating in this joint venture will retain
full economic

benefits of the acquired customers, similar to what they currently enjoy
through their direct retail channels.

Next generation wireless products and services

The next generation wireless phone will be designed to connect customers of
Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox and Advance/Newhouse Communications to
Sprint

through Sprint's nationwide high-speed Power Vision(TM) EV-DO (Evolution
Data Optimized) network and integrate products from each cable company.
Customers

using the converged services will be able to seamlessly interface between
email, home and mobile voicemail, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and photo
programs.

An interactive demonstration of these capabilities and services can be found
at
http://64.207.132.216/.
The parties plan to implement and sell Power
Vision(TM)

EV-DO-enabled handsets and service packages that will enable customers to:

-- Use interactive features like remotely programming their home DVRs

-- Have a single voice mailbox that serves both the home and the wireless

phone

-- Access innovative new calling plans which allow for unlimited calls

between the home and the wireless device

-- Surf the Internet using their cable Internet portal

-- Send and receive e-mail from their cable high-speed Internet account

-- Access unique content like streaming television programming, music,

video clips, games and pre-recorded DVR programs

In addition, the five companies have agreed to work together to explore
potential next generation wireless technology business plans for new
services that

could be provided using Sprint's Broadband Radio Spectrum (2.5 GHz), with
the goal of further integrating wireline and wireless services. This
spectrum

has the capability to provide high-speed data connectivity that can help
deliver an even wider and richer array of entertainment and communications
services.

In each market, the price of the integrated offering will be agreed to by
Sprint and the cable company serving that market. Each cable company will be
responsible

for billing customers and for customer service in its territory for the
converged offering. Customers can enjoy the convenience of a single bill for
all

of their services, including video, data, phone and wireless.

Gary Forsee, president and CEO of Sprint Nextel said, "The new Sprint- cable
partnerships will forever transform what used to be merely a cell phone into

an indispensable third screen in customers' lives. By giving consumers more
access to information, entertainment and data from their cell phone, we will

create more loyal customers, and we'll further drive our growth. With the
convergence of technologies and capabilities accelerating, we will create
personalized

content, useful innovative applications and easy-to-understand navigation
required by consumers. Together with our cable partners, we will have the
unique

content and distribution assets to realize this opportunity."

Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation said, "This
agreement, which represents the most expansive technological convergence of
its kind,

will deliver to our customers an unprecedented level of real-time,
high-speed mobility and access to content all in a single package. We have
always believed

cable provided the best available entertainment and communications
experience, and by teaming up with other leaders of our industry, we will
now take that

competitive advantage to the next level. Together with Sprint Nextel, we
look forward to developing fully integrated products that give our customers
an

even better entertainment experience whether they are in the home or on the
move."

"We believe this joint venture is the right way for cable operators like
Time Warner Cable to fully engage in the wireless business in the most
customer-friendly

and least capital intensive manner," said Glenn Britt, chairman and chief
executive officer of Time Warner Cable. "This is really about much more than

adding a fourth element to our existing video, data and telephone bundle. It
is about developing a wireless platform that connects all of our services

for the customer both inside their home and when they are on the road."

Jim Robbins, president and CEO of Cox Communications said, "This
revolutionary partnership will forever change the way Americans consume
entertainment,

communicate and exchange information. With more than 3 million Cox customers
already choosing to bundle at least two services, and more than 1 million

bundling cable TV, high-speed Internet and telephony, our company has been
realizing the benefits of bundling for some time now. We look forward to
further

increasing our customers' satisfaction by adding new wireless services,
increased integration and portability."

Robert Miron, chairman and CEO of Advance/Newhouse Communications said, "We
welcome this opportunity to join our partner Time Warner Cable, as well as
Comcast

and Cox, in this very worthwhile initiative, which will enable us to offer
our customers a wireless addition to our product line of digital cable, high

speed data services and digital phone, and future cutting edge innovations
to be developed by the venture."

Media Luncheon and Product Demonstration

The CEOs of Sprint Nextel, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications
and Advance/Newhouse Communications will hold a luncheon for the media and
product

demonstration today at 1:00 p.m. ET in the Le Trianon room on the second
floor of the Hotel Plaza Athenee, located at 37 East 64th Street in New York
City.

Reporters who cannot attend may call into a teleconference to listen to the
event and ask questions. U.S. reporters should call (866) 297-4539 and
international

reporters should call (706) 679-9046. The conference call ID number is
2067146. A replay of the call will begin at 5:00 p.m. today and will be
available

for 24 hours. To access the replay, please call (800) 642- 1687 or (706)
645-9291 and input the conference call ID number 2067146. The conference
call

will also be webcast and can be accessed at
http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=31227.
The interactive
demonstration of these capabilities and service

can be found at
http://64.207.132.216/.

About Comcast

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (
http://www.comcast.com)
is the
nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications
products

and services. With 21.4 million cable customers, 7.7 million high-speed
Internet customers, and 1.2 million voice customers, Comcast is principally
involved

in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and
in the delivery of programming content.

The Company's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment
Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, OLN, G4, AZN Television, PBS
KIDS Sprout,

TV One and four regional Comcast SportsNets. The Company also has a majority
ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the
Philadelphia

Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two
large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia. Comcast Class A common stock and

Class A Special common stock trade on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the
symbols CMCSA and CMCSK, respectively.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications, a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service broadband
communications company with approximately 6.7 million total customers,
including

6.4 million basic cable subscribers. The nation's third-largest cable
television provider, Cox offers both analog cable television under the Cox
Cable

brand as well as advanced digital video service under the Cox Digital Cable
brand. Cox provides an array of other communications and entertainment
services,

including local and long distance telephone under the Cox Digital Telephone
brand; high-speed Internet access under the Cox High Speed Internet brand;

and commercial voice and data services via Cox Business Services. Local
cable advertising, promotional opportunities and production services are
sold under

the Cox Media brand. Cox is an investor in programming networks including
Discovery Channel. More information about Cox Communications can be accessed

on the Internet at
http://www.cox.com.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline
communications services to consumer, business and government customers.
Sprint Nextel

is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative
technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry
leading

mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie
capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For
more

information, visit
http://www.sprint.com/mr.

About Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable owns and manages cable systems serving subscribers in 27
states, which include some of the most technologically advanced, best-
clustered

cable systems in the country with more than 75% of the Company's customers
in systems of 300,000 subscribers or more. Utilizing a fully upgraded
advanced

cable network and a steadfast commitment to providing consumers with choice,
value and quality customer care, Time Warner Cable is an industry leader in

delivering advanced products and services such as video on demand, high
definition television, digital video recorders, high-speed data, wireless
home

networking and Digital Phone. Time Warner Cable is a subsidiary of Time
Warner Inc.

About Advance/Newhouse Communications

Advance/Newhouse Communications manages Bright House Networks which serves
more than two million customers in several large markets that include Tampa
Bay

and Central Florida (Orlando), Indianapolis, Birmingham, Bakersfield and
Detroit, along with several other smaller systems in Alabama and the Florida
Panhandle.

Bright House Networks offers its customers a wide range of cable television
services including Video on Demand, high speed data and Digital Phone
services.

For more information, visit
http://www.mybrighthouse.com.

Safe Harbor

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the securities laws. The statements in this news release regarding the
business

outlook, expected performance, as well as other statements that are not
historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words "estimate,"
"project,"

"forecast," "intend," "expect," "believe," "target," "providing guidance"
and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are estimates and projections reflecting
management's judgment and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause

actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the
forward-looking statements. With respect to these forward- looking
statements, management

has made assumptions regarding, among other things, customer and network
usage, customer growth and retention, pricing, operating costs, the timing
of

various events and the economic environment. Future performance cannot be
ensured. Actual results may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking

statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include:

-- with respect to Sprint Nextel, the uncertainties related to its

contemplated spin-off of our local telecommunications business;

-- the effects of vigorous competition and the overall demand for the

services offered by the parties in the agreement as well as the

converged service offerings described in this release;

-- the costs and business risks associated with providing new services and

entering new markets;

-- the effects of mergers and consolidations in the communications and

cable industries and unexpected announcements or developments from

others in the communications and cable industries;

-- the uncertainties related to investments in networks, systems, and

other businesses;

-- the uncertainties related to the implementation of business strategies

(including those described above) the impact of new, emerging and

competing technologies;

-- unexpected results of litigation pending or filed against the parties

included in this release;

-- the costs of compliance with regulatory mandates;

-- the risk of equipment failure, natural disasters, terrorist acts, or

other breaches of network or information technology security;

-- the risk that third parties are unable to perform to requirements under

agreements related to our business operations or that the parties

described in this release are unable to finalize definitive agreements

surrounding the contemplated activities (including, but not limited to,

the distribution relationship with RadioShack);

-- the possibility of being impacted by changes in political or other

factors such as monetary policy, legal and regulatory changes or other

external factors over which the parties have no control; and

-- other risks referenced from time to time in each of the party's filings

with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

-- The parties believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable;

however, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking

statements, which are based on current expectations and speak only as

of the date of this release. No party is obligated to publicly release

any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events after the

date of this release. The parties regularly disclose in their

respective public SEC filings a detailed discussion of risk factors

including their respective 2004 Form 10-Ks as amended, and you are

encouraged to review these filings.

SOURCE Sprint Nextel Corporation; Comcast Corporation; Time Warner Cable;

Cox Communications; Advance/Newhouse Communications