Windstream completes first stage of 100 Mbps cable upgrades in North Georgia

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 30, 2017 -- Windstream (NASDAQ:WIN), a leading provider of advanced network communications, today announced it has completed the first stage of its cable upgrade plan in North Georgia, enabling more than 6,000 households in Blairsville (Union County) to have access to up to 100 megabits-per-second (Mbps) internet speeds. The cable upgrade plan, announced late last year, will provide high speeds to more than 67,000 households by the end of 2017.

After completion of the project, Windstream will have upgraded eligible customers across 13 communities in North Georgia, including Blairsville, Hiawassee, Young Harris, Dawsonville, Helen, Homer, Cornelia, Commerce, Jefferson, Clarkesville, Nicholson, Dahlonega and Cleveland, as well as Hayesville, N.C.

“We are working hard to give our customers in North Georgia an enhanced internet experience,” said Jarrod (“J”) Berkshire, president of operations for Windstream in Georgia. “Many of our employees live, work and raise their families in North Georgia, and they are working tirelessly to make faster speeds and more reliable service available to customers. While we still have a lot of work ahead, this upgrade represents a significant milestone and testament to their hard work and Windstream’s commitment to the North Georgia community.”

With 100 Mbps, eligible North Georgia residents in these communities will be able to:

• Download a 1 GB HD video in as little as 1 minute, 25 seconds
• Download a High-Quality Full Length Album in as little as 4 seconds
• Download 100 Hi-Res Photos in as little as 16 seconds
• Play games online with less lag
• Enjoy almost seamless video chatting

For updates and other news about our activity in Georgia, visit georgia.windstream.com.

About Windstream
Windstream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:WIN), a FORTUNE 500 company, is a leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions for consumers, businesses, enterprise organizations and wholesale customers across the U.S. Windstream offers bundled services, including broadband, security solutions, voice and digital TV to consumers. The company also provides data, cloud solutions, unified communications and managed services to small business and enterprise clients. The company supplies core transport solutions on a local and long-haul fiber network spanning approximately 147,000 miles. Additional information is available at windstream.com. Please visit our newsroom at news.windstream.com or follow us on Twitter at @Windstream.

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