WOW! says it has invested approximately $20 million in Florida's Pinellas County and Tampa to expand and upgrade its local broadband network and offer new residential and commercial services. The investment is intended to enable the company to compete more effectively and continue to grow in the area at a time when industry consolidation may cause some market disruption and limit consumer choices.
WOW! serves the majority of Pinellas County and parts of Tampa with its own local broadband network that passes about 270,000 residences and 30,000 businesses. The company hopes to gain greater market share amid the Charter-Bright House merger and Frontier-Verizon transaction.
"WOW! has a rich legacy of being an award-winning, independent operator that has competed effectively throughout the Southeast and Midwest U.S.," said Steve Pozil, WOW! vice president and general manager for Florida. "What sets us apart in Pinellas County, Tampa and the other markets we serve is the exceptional customer experience and value we provide. Mergers and other industry transactions often can be disruptive and present WOW! with opportunities to create even more value and serve new residential and commercial customers."
WOW! has served Pinellas County since 2012 through its acquisition of Knology. The company owns and operates more than 40,000 miles of local fiber-optic and coaxial networks in the Southeast and Midwest.
In the Pinellas County area, WOW! has launched new Internet, video and phone services. The company's Ultra service includes a whole home HD DVR, simple access to a customer's Netflix account, and a smart menu. Most recently WOW! introduced 300 Mbps Internet service for residential and business customers in St. Petersburg and throughout the company's service area in Pinellas County.
For a limited time, WOW! is offering residential consumers in Pinellas County 110 Mbps Internet service for $34.99 per month for one year with a 12-month agreement and 110 Mbps Internet and Medium Cable plus the choice of a premium channel for $64.99 per month for one year with a 12-month agreement.