Cablevision's Optimum WiFi Arrives In New Jersey

Fast Wireless Internet Access Now Available To Optimum Online Customers In Commercial And High-Traffic Areas Of Bergen And Passaic Counties, As Deployment Continues Nation's Largest And Most Advanced Consumer WiFi Network Includes Access On Most NJ Transit Train Platforms And Station Parking Lots Across Northern and Central New Jersey

Bethpage, NY (PRWEB) March 3, 2009 -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced that it has successfully deployed Optimum WiFi wireless Internet access in outdoor commercial and high-traffic areas in Northern and Central New Jersey, as a free enhancement for its Optimum Online high-speed Internet customers. The newly activated Optimum WiFi community zones - which are focused on the places where people shop, dine, commute and meet - cover most of Cablevision's service area in Bergen and Passaic counties, and parts of Essex, Morris, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset counties, as deployment continues. The service is also available at many Northern and Central New Jersey Transit train station platforms and parking lots, including Elizabeth, Metuchen, Edison, and Aberdeen-Matawan.

Already the nation's largest and most advanced WiFi network, based on geographic coverage, Optimum WiFi usage has increased by 50 percent each month since the service became broadly available last fall across Cablevision's Long Island, Connecticut and Westchester/Dutchess service area. Over the next year, Cablevision plans to deploy WiFi across its entire tri-state service area.

"We are pleased to announce the introduction of Optimum WiFi in New Jersey, which is a significant milestone in our ongoing deployment and will make fast and reliable wireless Internet access available to Optimum Online customers in the Garden State," said Kevin Curran, Cablevision's senior vice president of wireless product development. "Thousands of new customers are discovering Optimum WiFi every week, doing things like updating Facebook pages, uploading photos, or just checking e-mail. This popular and free product enhancement is yet another advantage of being an Optimum Online customer."

Cablevision has partnered with Comcast on a trial to expand Cablevision customers' access to Optimum WiFi in New Jersey at many commuter rail stations in Comcast's service area including: Metropark, Maplewood, Westfield, Linden, and Middletown. This partnership gives Cablevision and Comcast customers the ability to access their company's respective WiFi network at any of the New Jersey train stations that have been activated for service by either company.

In conjunction with this most recent deployment, Cablevision has launched a new version of its consumer Web site, www.optimumwifi.com, to provide customers with information on Optimum WiFi, and WiFi service in general, including tutorials and detailed coverage maps. The new website has been enhanced to give customers an even more user-friendly experience, the ability to refer a friend to Optimum WiFi, and access to more important information than ever before.

Optimum Online customers using laptop computers and portable WiFi-enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and some BlackBerry models can access Optimum WiFi through a simple sign-on screen. Currently, there are more than 5,000 different types of devices on the market that are certified to operate over WiFi. An estimated 300 million WiFi-enabled consumer electronic devices shipped last year - a figure that is expected to grow to 1 billion by 2012.

Once a customer logs into the service by entering their Optimum User ID and password, the network delivers fast symmetrical speeds of up to 1.5 megabits-per-second. Optimum WiFi uses the same standard used in wireless home networks, 802.11, and any device that is certified by the WiFi Alliance as adhering to the 802.11 standards and has a web browser will be able to access the Optimum WiFi network.

Cablevision currently provides Optimum Online high-speed Internet service to more than 2.4 million customers, 52 percent of the homes passed by Cablevision's fiber optic network, the highest penetration of any Internet service in the nation. Optimum Online customers are already familiar with the benefits of wireless access, with more than half using wireless routers in the home.

About Cablevision

Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) is one of the nation's leading media and entertainment 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 TV® digital television, Optimum Online® high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice® digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv, through Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, and serves the New York area as publisher of Newsday and other niche publications through Newsday Media Group. In addition to these 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, the Beacon Theatre, and the Chicago Theatre, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas.

New Jersey WIFI locations by county (as of 3/3/09)

Bergen County

Allendale

Bergenfield

Bogota

Closter

Cresskill

Demarest

Dumont

Elmwood Park

Emerson

Fair Lawn

Franklin Lakes

Garfield

Glen Rock

Hackensack

Harrington Park

Hasbrouck Heights

Haworth

Hillsdale

Ho Ho Kus

Lodi

Mahwah

Maywood

Midland Park

Montvale

New Milford

Northvale

Norwood

Oakland

Old Tappan

Oradell

Paramus

Park Ridge

Ramsey

Ridgewood

River Edge

Rivervale

Rochelle Park

Rockleigh

Saddle Brook

Saddle River

South Hackensack

Tappan

Teaneck

Tenafly

Upper Saddle River

Waldwick

Washington Twp

Westwood

Wood Ridge

Woodcliff Lake

Wyckoff

Essex County

Cedar Grove

Nutley

Middlesex County

Dunellen

Edison

Highland Park

Metuchen

Middlesex

Milltown

New Brunswick

North Brunswick

Old Bridge

Parlin

Piscataway

Sayreville

South Amboy

Monmouth County

Aberdeen

Keansburg

Keyport

Cliffwood Beach

Matawan

Union Beach

Morris County

Butler

Lincoln Park

Kinnelon

Pequannock

Riverdale

Passaic County

Bloomingdale

Clifton

Haledon

Haskell

Hawthorne

Little Falls

North Haledon

Passaic

Pompton Lakes

Ringwood

Totowa

West Paterson

Wanaque

Wayne

Somerset County

Basking Ridge

Bound Brook

Bridgewater

Green Brook

Manville

Raritan

Somerville

S. Bound Brook

Warren

Watchung

Train Stations: Cablevision

Aberdeen-Matawan

Allendale

Anderson St. (Hackensack)

Asbury Park

Basking Ridge

Belmar

Boonton

Bradley Beach

Bridgewater

Broadway (Fairlawn)

Chatham

Clifton

Convent Station (Morris Twp)

Delawanna (Clifton)

Denville

Dover

Dunellen

Edison

Elizabeth

Emerson

Essex St. (Hackensack)

Garfield

Glen Rock - Boro Hall

Glen Rock - Main Line

Great Notch (Clifton)

Hawthorne

Hillsdale

Ho-Ho-Kus

Jersey Ave. (New Brunswick)

Lake Hopatcong

Lincoln Park

Little Falls

Lyons

Madison

Mahwah

Manasquan

Metuchen

Montclair State U. (Little Falls)

Montvale

Morris Plains

Morristown

Mount Arlington

Mount Tabor

Mountain Lakes

Mountain Station

Mountain View

Nanuet

Netcong

North Elizabeth

North Hackensack

Oradell

Park Ridge

Passaic

Pearl River

Plauderville

Radburn

Ramsey

Ramsey (Route 17)

Raritan

River Edge

Sloatsburg

South Amboy

South Orange

Spring Lake

Spring Valley

Suffern

Towaco

Tuxedo

Waldwick

Westwood

Woodcliff Lake

Wood-Ridge

Train Stations: Comcast

Allenhurst

Annandale

Avenel

Bay Head

Bay Street (Montclair)

Berkeley Heights

Bernardsville

Bloomfield

Elberon

Fanwood

Far Hills

Gillette

Gladstone

Hackettstown

Hazlet

High Bridge

Highland Avenue (Orange)

Kingsland

Lebanon

Linden

Long Branch

Lyndhurst

Maplewood

Metropark (Iselin)

Middletown

Millburn

Millington

Monmouth Park

Montclair Heights

Mountain Avenue (Montclair)

Murray Hill

Netherwood

New Providence

North Branch

Peapack

Perth Amboy

Plainfield

Princeton

Red Bank

Roselle Park

Rutherford

Short Hills

Stirling

Trenton

Upper Montclair

Walnut Street (Montclair)

Watchung Avenue (Montclair)

Westfield

White House (Readington)

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