C Spire Improves Mobile Broadband Speeds and Prepares Network for Coming 5G Era

Telecom company installs new, next-generation cellular base stations and software in its 1,200-plus cell sites

Ridgeland, Miss. (September 17, 2019) – Consumers and businesses are experiencing a 15 to 20 percent improvement in mobile broadband speeds throughout much of C Spire’s wireless network – thanks to installation of new base stations and software that will serve as the foundation for the company’s transition to the next generation of cellular technology.

C Spire, a Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology services company, operates the nation’s largest privately- owned mobile services firm and is in the final stages of work on the multi-million-dollar project with completion expected by the end of this month.

The firm has spent much of 2019 upgrading the 1,200-plus cell sites in its wireless network and laying the groundwork for the next phase of mobile communications, which promises to transform how consumers live, work and play and how businesses thrive in the new 21st century digital economy.

“We are uniquely positioned with low, mid and high-band spectrum to ensure that we design and engineer a network that is truly customer inspired and fully meets customer needs for speed, latency and coverage,” said Alan Jones, senior vice president of Access and Deployment for C Spire.

Before the company starts rolling out next generation cellular technology, though, it must have the new, updated base stations and software that will enable a smooth transition from current 4G LTE technology and maximum flexibility and efficiency for use of precious spectrum resources.

“We’re using carrier aggregation technology, which brings together spectrum from multiple frequency bands for improved speed and spectral efficiency, and other software and hardware improvements to achieve better speeds and pave the way for Voice over LTE or high-definition mobile voice service,” Jones added.

The new base stations are adaptable, powerful and able to meet C Spire’s future needs for a next generation cellular network, software-defined services and the Internet of Things. “Not only does this new technology deliver high quality connectivity and coverage, but it helps us quickly evolve our network to meet changing requirements,” Jones said.

New mobile networks are expected to be the foundation for advances in smart home applications, smart manufacturing, smart cities and broader Internet of Things technology, including humanoid robotics, connected cars, remote surgery, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

“Imagine downloading a 4K movie in seconds or watching video in a crowded football stadium with no buffering,” Jones said. “That’s the potential, the promise and the challenge of 5G. We need to chart an intelligent, timely and efficient path from 4G LTE to 5G that makes this a reality.”

Some analysts are forecasting the IOT market to grow to $520 billion by 2021 and the number of cellular IoT connections to reach 3.5 billion by 2023. “The potential is mind-boggling – so we have to make sure we have the right technology and the right network to support all of that activity,” Jones added.

As a part of the C Spire Tech Movement to build a better future through technology, education and innovation, 5G could help close the digital divide that limits innovation and opportunity in rural areas of the U.S. The technology could pave the way for new education possibilities, opportunities for rural farmers and small-town entrepreneurs while giving working people greater access to healthcare and near instant connections to friends and family.

Earlier this year, C Spire formed a consortium with Airspan Networks, Microsoft, Nokia and Siklu to test and deploy a variety of broadband technologies and new business models for use by regional fixed and wireless internet service providers, utilities and others to help improve broadband connectivity and adoption in rural areas.

To learn more about C Spire 5G, visit www.cspire.com/5G. To learn more about the C Spire Tech Movement, visit www.cspire.com/techmvmt. To learn more about the C Spire Rural Broadband Consortium, visit www.cspire.com/rural-broadband-consortium.

About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class, customer-inspired wireless communications, 1 Gigabit consumer Internet access as well as a full suite of dedicated Internet, wireless, IP Voice, data and cloud services for businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.

LIBERTY BUSINESS LAUNCHES MANAGED SECURITY SERVICES SOLUTION “SECURED EDGE”

The new security solution provides network security management for any size and type of business

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, September 16, 2019 – Liberty Business, the business market division of Liberty Puerto Rico, recently launched “Secured Edge,” a managed security services solution that oversees network security for any size or type of business. Offered to Liberty Business by Fortinet, the product is available exclusively for Liberty Business customers.

“‘Secured Edge’ manages network security right at the business’ premises, which allows customers to focus on running their operations while giving them peace of mind,” said Antonio Llona, vice president of Liberty Business. “It also optimizes the network to isolate, control and prevent cybersecurity threats while using the industry’s best practices.”

In addition to cybersecurity control, Llona adds that “Secured Edge” offers customers many other benefits such as security templates and security configurations designed specifically for each business, an Enterprise license, better cybersecurity equipment configuration practices, periodical updates and 24/7 support. It also offers FortiSandBox, an advanced security service that provides top-rated proactive advanced threat detection.

“To make things even easier, ‘Secured Edge’ provides reports to comply with established regulations and policies, plus early alerts on new threats and intelligence to predict, detect and block zero-day malware. This is basically a product that can handle the latest in cybersecurity threats, which helps business owners rest easy knowing that their companies’ cybersecurity is in good hands,” added Llona.

“Secured Edge,” also offers other important features such as DNS filtering, content filtering, web filtering, VPN, port & IP network policies, intrusion prevention system, intrusion detection system, data loss prevention, antivirus and antispam. 

Liberty Business customers interested in obtaining “Secured Edge” should call (787) 963-1000 or visit https://business.libertypr.com/.

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About Liberty Puerto Rico:

Liberty Puerto Rico is a subsidiary of Liberty Latin America and has approximately 765,400 RGUs as of June 30, 2019 in 75 municipalities in the eastern, central, northern southern and western regions of Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.libertypr.com.

About Liberty Latin America

Liberty Latin America is a leading telecommunications company operating in over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean under the consumer brands VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil, BTC, UTS and Cabletica. The communications and entertainment services that we offer to our residential and business customers in the region include digital video, broadband internet, telephony and mobile services. Our business products and services include enterprise-grade connectivity, data center, hosting and managed solutions, as well as information technology solutions with customers ranging from small and medium enterprises to international companies and governmental agencies. In addition, Liberty Latin America operates a subsea and terrestrial fiber optic cable network that connects over 40 markets in the region.

Liberty Latin America has three separate classes of common shares, which are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbols "LILA" (Class A) and "LILAK" (Class C), and on the OTC link under the symbol "LILAB" (Class B). For more information, please visit www.lla.com.

DOW JONES NAMES LIBERTY GLOBAL AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST SUSTAINABLE COMPANIES IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY

For the eighth consecutive year, Dow Jones has named Liberty Global as one of the world’s most sustainable companies operating in the media industry.

The company’s sustainability strategy has been rewarded with a listing in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) in both the World and North American categories.

Liberty Global subsidiary Telenet also appears in the World index and sector leader among the world’s most sustainable media companies for the seventh year.

Launched in 1999, the DJSI World Index represents the gold standard for corporate sustainability. Only the top-ranked companies within each industry are selected for inclusion in the DJSI Indices. The indices serve as benchmarks for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios and provide an effective engagement platform for companies who want to adopt sustainable best practices.

Liberty Global achieved an overall company score of 65 points, compared to an average score of 30 points for companies operating in the global media sector. More specifically, the company was rewarded for its performance in the areas of Materiality, Brand Management, Climate Strategy, Labor Practice Indicators, and Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy.

Liberty Global takes a proactive approach to sustainability by managing the impact of its business on the environment and society, as well as developing strategies to ensure this is ingrained in every aspect of the organization. Its Connected Purpose strategy leads the way by setting the company’s priorities in two areas:

• Digital Imagination: Creating digital solutions that answer society’s most pressing challenges;

• Responsible Connectivity: Delivering outstanding connectivity while running our business in a responsible and sustainable way.

Manuel Kohnstamm, Liberty Global’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, comments: “We aim to maximize the positive social impact of our products and services and work in line with global industry standards on sustainability. We’re proud that this long-standing commitment to sustainability has again been recognized by Dow Jones through our inclusion in these prestigious indices.”

In addition to its continued membership of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, Liberty Global is included in the FTSE4Good Index and Fortune 500 listing.

CenturyLink expands its content delivery network service capabilities

Triggered by increasing demand for over-the-top (OTT) content delivery in EMEA, technology leader CenturyLink, has expanded its content delivery network (CDN) service capabilities in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania and significantly increased capacity in existing core sites in Europe.

This investment demonstrates CenturyLink’s commitment to providing scalable, highly available and resilient content delivery solutions to OTT providers, broadcasters and gaming companies, allowing them to connect with new audiences in new markets across the globe.

“As demand continues to grow for OTT content in EMEA, increasing the reach of our CDN services is critical in enabling our customers to deliver the best possible user experience, including in difficult to serve locations around the globe,” said Rory McVicar, director of product management, internet and content delivery services, CenturyLink.

As part of this EMEA CDN service capabilities expansion, CenturyLink has added a new point of presence (PoP) in Zagreb, Croatia to enhance service performance in the country.

In addition, the company has augmented its CDN capacity in other key locations in EMEA that are experiencing the greatest growth in online traffic including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Nordics.

CenturyLink Acquires Video Delivery Innovator Streamroot

Purchase strengthens CenturyLink's ability to deliver OTT video content for customers

MONROE, La., Sept. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Global technology leader CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL), has acquired privately held Streamroot Inc., a leading provider of disruptive technology, to improve video and static content delivery within bandwidth constrained areas. The acquisition represents another step in CenturyLink's commitment to innovation as a leader in content delivery network (CDN) and Edge Compute services.

"Streamroot brings a data driven approach to improving the user experience, particularly during peak internet traffic hours. Streamroot's customers have chosen peer assisted and multi-CDN approaches to gain an advantage over their competition when serving popular, high quality content to large audiences globally," said Bill Wohnoutka, vice president, global internet and content delivery services, CenturyLink. "This technology and the team that invented it are crucial to helping us enable high-quality viewing experiences, especially within hard to serve markets."

Streamroot's disruptive content delivery models enable connected consumer devices such as smart phones, tablets, computers, set-top consoles and smart TVs to participate in the serving of premium content through a secure and private mesh delivery. By incorporating consumer devices into this edge-based delivery architecture, CenturyLink believes its customers will be able to achieve performance otherwise not feasible with conventional CDN delivery methods. This hybrid delivery approach for over-the-top (OTT) video streaming is anticipated to allow content consumers to enjoy a higher quality user experience.

"Streamroot and CenturyLink share a vision to improve the user experience with rich media content by utilizing edge computing and data science," said Pierre-Louis Theron, CEO of Streamroot. "We believe joining forces with CenturyLink will accelerate our ability to innovate for the benefit of our customers, internet users and network operators across the globe."

Transaction Details

CenturyLink acquired Streamroot on Sept. 6, 2019. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a technology leader delivering hybrid networking, cloud connectivity, and security solutions to customers around the world. Through its extensive global fiber network, CenturyLink provides secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. CenturyLink strives to be the trusted connection to the networked world and is focused on delivering technology that enhances the customer experience. Learn more at http://news.centurylink.com/.

Forward Looking Statement:

Except for historical and factual information, the matters set forth in this release and other of our oral or written statements identified by words such as "continues," "estimates," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "intends," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are based on current expectations only, are inherently speculative, and are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Actual events and results may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by us in those statements. You are cautioned not to unduly rely upon our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We may change our intentions, strategies or plans (including our plans expressed herein) without notice at any time and for any reason.

SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.

For further information: Media, Courtney Morton, courtney.morton@centurylink.com, 801-238-0228; or Investor, Mark Stoutenberg, Mark.Stoutenberg@CenturyLink.com

Vast Broadband Completes Recapitalization and Closes Acquisition of NTS

SIKESTON, MO. and LUBBOCK, TX, September 4, 2019 – Vast Broadband (“Vast”), a leading provider of high-speed broadband, video, and voice services to over 55,000 residential and business customers in South Dakota and Minnesota markets, announced that it has completed its acquisition of NTS Communications (“NTS”), a regional broadband fiber company offering high-speed data, video, and voice services to over 20,000 residential and business customers in Texas and Louisiana. Oak Hill Capital Partners (“Oak Hill“) and Pamlico Capital (“Pamlico“) led a recapitalization of Vast and NTS to support the company’s accelerated growth plans.

NTS operates a high-quality fiber network spanning over 2,700 owned route miles passing more than 60,000 homes and businesses in Texas markets of Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, and Wichita Falls, and select markets in Louisiana. The senior management team at Vast, led by CEO Jim Gleason, CFO Keith Davidson, and COO Larry Eby will join forces with local management at NTS to expand service offerings across the company’s markets.

“We are excited to officially welcome NTS to the Vast family and support the company’s next phase of growth,” said Gleason. “We look forward to working with the NTS team and the cities NTS serves to provide outstanding service to our customers and communities. Vast and NTS will work together to assure a seamless transition for both customers and employees.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bank Street Group LLC served as NTS’s exclusive financial advisor in connection with this transaction. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and TD Securities (USA) provided debt financing to support the transaction.

About Vast Broadband

Vast Broadband, headquartered in Sikeston, Missouri is a leading broadband/cable company providing high-speed Internet, television and digital telephone services for residential and business customers in South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota. For more information, please visit www.vastbroadband.com.

About NTS Communications

NTS Communications, headquartered in Lubbock, Texas is a leading provider of fiber-based communications solutions for both residential and business customers across Texas and Louisiana. NTS delivers one of the fastest Internet connections available over a true fiber to the premise network. For more information, please visit www.ntscom.com.

About Oak Hill Capital Partners

Oak Hill Capital is a private equity firm managing funds with approximately $15 billion of initial capital commitments and co-investments since inception. Over the past 33 years, Oak Hill Capital and its predecessors have invested in over 90 private equity transactions across broad segments of the U.S. and global economies. Oak Hill Capital applies an industry-focused, theme-based approach to investing in the following sectors: Consumer, Retail & Distribution; Industrials; Media & Communications; and Services. Oak Hill works actively in partnership with management to implement strategic and operational initiatives to create franchise value. For more information, please visit www.oakhill.com.

About Pamlico Capital

Pamlico Capital is a private equity firm founded in 1988 that primarily invests in growing middle-market companies in North America. Pamlico Capital seeks control-oriented growth equity and buyout investments of up to $125 million alongside founders and proven management teams in its target industries: business & technology services, communications, and healthcare. Since inception, the firm, based in Charlotte, NC, has invested over $3 billion. For more information, please visit www.pamlicocapital.com.

A1 Austria introduced 8K video content over a 5G network

A1 Group Austrian unit delivers 8K video content via 5G network for the first time in Austria at the Alpbach 2019 European Forum

A1 Austria broadcasted 8K video content through its 5G network during the European Forum Alpbach 2019, thus exclusively showing the future of entertainment. Along with its technology partners, Nokia and Samsung, A1 introduced one of the many application areas of the new 5G mobile technology.

Broadcasting content with 8K resolution will face today's challenges with today's mobile networks - the required speed and volume of data transfer will increase significantly. For example, the network will have to deal with broadcasting Hollywood production with 8K resolution, which will exceed 100 GB. Developing solutions that require more connection capacity and the growing trend of using real-time streaming technologies are making the 5G fast and widespread entry into the entertainment world imperative.

A1 is currently testing various applications of 5G in Bulgaria. The company launched the first 5G base station in the country after receiving test frequencies from the Communications Regulation Commission in early July. The entertainment field was also the first application of 5G, which A1 demonstrated in Bulgaria by showing 16 HD quality TV channels which simultaneously transmit to 5G network in the National Palace of Culture.

"5G is at the heart of all future improvements to the mobile Internet and will create unprecedented opportunities for new services. In addition to business applications, the Internet of Things (IoT) and real-time communication with autonomous cars and drones, faster speeds and faster response times will lead to new applications for private clients such as virtual reality or cloud gaming. In the future, the 5G network will play a key role in providing gigabit connectivity to rural areas, ”said A1 Group CEO Thomas Arnoldner, describing the capabilities of the next-generation mobile network.

"The transmission of 8K video content will be among the applications that require maximum connection speed. High resolution videos require extremely high data transfer capacity and would overload the current networks. At the premiere, we showed what new opportunities the 5G of A1 offers, ”commented A1 Austria CEO Marcus Grausam.

5G from A1 in the Alpbach

A1 has expanded the mobile internet infrastructure in Tirol tremendously, in preparation for the 5Giganet premiere in Alpbach. In addition to upgrading four external transmitters with 5G Massive MiMo antennas, the company installed an internal transmitter for the Alpbach Forum. In this way, speeds of up to 1.2 Gbit / s were reached inside the convention center where the event was being held. All five transmitters are connected to the Internet via 10 gigabit cables, providing a high quality 5G connection. Hundreds of areas in Austria will be connected to 5G over the next few months.

Momentum Telecom Completes Acquisition of DCT Telecom Group

Acquisition Expands Reach of Momentum’s Leading UCaaS Solution and Enhances White-Glove Experience

ATLANTA – August 12, 2019 – Momentum Telecom, a premier provider of cloud voice, network services and unified communications solutions, today announced that it has completed its transaction to acquire DCT Telecom Group. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, DCT is a provider of leading-edge cloud voice and network solutions.

“We’re happy to welcome DCT into the Momentum family and we’re looking forward to combining efforts to further our white-glove experience and enterprise customer knowledge,” said Todd Zittrouer, Momentum Telecom CEO. “The future continues to be bright for Momentum, and we’re excited about our continued expansion and leadership in the UCaaS market.”

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Bank Street Group LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to DCT in connection with the transaction.

For more information about Momentum Telecom or to discuss partnership opportunities email sales@momentumtelecom.com or call 877-251-5554.

# # #

Momentum Telecom empowers human connections through developing, streamlining and integrating cloud voice and cloud-based applications in order to enable others to thrive. An industry leader in customer experience, Momentum uses superior technology, an unparalleled geo-redundant network and a nationwide network of more than 500 white label and channel partners to empower businesses to communicate better, faster and more efficiently. To learn more visit momentumtelecom.com or connect with us on Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn or visit our blog.

Media Contact

Beth Hildreth, bhildreth@momentumtelecom.com 315-579-7112

Milestone Communications Inc. Activities 2019

Press Releases

August 1, 2019

Castle Pines, CO – Milestone Communications, Inc., a leading brokerage firm serving the cable telecommunications industry, served as advisor to CalNeva Broadband, LLC in the sale of its cable television systems serving Winnemucca, Nevada and Frazier Park and Lake Almanor, California.  Sale represented over 2,700 RGU’s.  Michael W. Drake of Milestone Communications, Inc. represented CalNeva Broadband, LLC in the transaction.

August 1, 2019

Castle Pines, CO – Milestone Communications, Inc., a leading brokerage firm serving the cable telecommunications industry, served as advisor to Trenton TV Cable Company in the sale of its cable television system serving Trenton and portions of Gibson County in Tennessee.  Sale represented over 1,400 RGU’s.  Michael W. Drake of Milestone Communications, Inc. represented Trenton TV Cable Company in the transaction.

Morgan Stanley Announces Corporate Partnership with the Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council (HITEC)

Partnership to strengthen career advancement and opportunities for diverse talent in technology and beyond

New York —

Morgan Stanley announced today a corporate partnership with the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC), the premier global organization for senior-level business and technology leaders. The partnership will help advance diversity initiatives and connect Morgan Stanley with accomplished Hispanic technology professionals to build a strong talent pipeline for the future. HITEC’s network spans the Americas and is focused on building stronger technology and executive leaders, leadership teams, corporations and role models in a rapidly changing, technology-centric world.

"We’re honored to welcome Morgan Stanley to the HITEC Familia,” said Omar Duque, HITEC President. “We are excited to partner with Morgan Stanley on diversity initiatives, share best practices and resources for talent growth, and facilitate connections with the best and brightest Hispanic executives in technology.”

“Our culture of innovation at Morgan Stanley is fueled by the diverse perspectives and experiences our world-class technologists bring to bear as they solve the most complex client and business challenges every day,” said Sal Cucchiara, CIO, Wealth Management and Co-Chair of the Technology Global Diversity Council at Morgan Stanley. “We look forward to working closely with HITEC and its members to open up new opportunities for current and future leaders.”

Morgan Stanley’s rich history of innovation and technology excellence is rooted in the Firm’s four core values of Doing the Right Thing, Putting Clients First, Leading with Exceptional Ideas and Giving Back. The Firm is committed to supporting the careers of historically underrepresented groups globally by investing in robust programs to help recruit and advance a dynamic talent base, and creating a culture where all employees have the tools and support necessary to advance and thrive.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/diversity

Media Relations Contact: Christine Alberti, 212.761.6303