SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Integrated communications provider SureWest Communications (Nasdaq:SURW) stated today that the company has submitted to the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission (SMCTC) notification that SureWest will adjust digital television rates for its Sacramento County customers in mid-January 2005. The specific adjustments to rates will vary based on the individual digital television package selected by the customer. The total cost to a customer for SureWest's bundled packages will depend on the service package selected. On average SureWest Sacramento customers will see a net increase of approximately $3.40.
"It's important to understand that SureWest is more than a 'cable company,' as we bundle Internet and telephone services with our digital television to provide the best customer value," said Fred Arcuri, senior vice president and COO, SureWest Broadband. "We have little control over television content cost increases, and this rate adjustment for digital television is necessary to keep up with increases in programming costs, primarily for sports offerings and premium movie networks, and other operating costs."
In making the announcement, SureWest noted that it believes its prices remain well below those of its competitors in the Sacramento market for comparable services. SureWest confirmed that the company will continue to offer aggressive package discounts to customers who subscribe to multiple service bundles, a group of products that SureWest markets under its InfinitAccess brand. Customers that subscribe to any combination of InfinitAccess services -- including digital TV, Internet and/or telephone -- can reap substantial savings over the total cost of those services if they were bought individually, savings from $5 to $20 per month depending on the bundle selected.
"We look for avenues to manage costs and pass savings on to customers," added Tom Villa, general manager, SureWest Broadband. "We've found that the best recourse is to offer our customers the discounts from bundling our InfinitAccess services. The more services you get, the more you save."
According to SureWest, over 80 percent of Sacramento subscribers take two or more of the company's InfinitAccess products, and over 50 percent of subscribers take all three, (digital TV, Internet, and telephony) services. SureWest's most popular InfinitAccess bundle is the Digital Choice Package. Digital Choice features 161 channels of programming (including video-on-demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) combined with up to 10 Mbps of high-speed Internet (unmatched for consumer bandwidth capability in the entire Sacramento region), and telephone and long distance.
"Digital Choice is lower priced compared to packages of other providers in the area that don't offer a triple-play of digital TV, high-speed Internet and telephone service," said Arcuri. "This points to the SureWest competitive advantage for Sacramento customers, in that we are the only company offering a fiber-optic triple-play (InfinitAccess) package that comes from one company on one bill at a competitive price. That's customer value."
SureWest plans to launch high definition television service (HDTV), digital video recording (DVR), additional sports packaging, more new channels and expanded international programming in 2005.
About SureWest
With 90 years in Northern California, SureWest and its family of companies represent an integrated network of highly reliable advanced communications products and services. SureWest provides digital TV, fiber optics, PCS wireless, DSL, high-speed Internet access, data transport, local and long distance telephone service, and directories with the highest standards of customer care. For more information, visit the SureWest web site at www.surewest.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, these forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as may, will, should, expect, plan, anticipate, or project or the negative of those words or other comparable words. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results to differ from those projected in such forward-looking statements.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward looking statements include, but are not limited to: advances in telecommunications technology, changes in the telecommunications regulatory environment, changes in the financial stability of other telecommunications providers who are customers of the company, changes in competition in markets in which the company operates, adverse circumstances affecting the economy in California in general, and in the Sacramento, California Metropolitan area in particular, the availability of future financing, changes in the demand for services and products, new product and service development and introductions, pending and future litigation, the internal control issues recently identified by the company's independent auditors, and unanticipated changes in the growth of the company's emerging businesses, including the wireless, Internet, video and Competitive Local Exchange Carrier operating entities.
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