".com" Explores the Copper Renaissance; Star Wars' Mark Hamill Hosts a Half-Hour Special Report on U.S. West's VDSL Technology.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 2, 1998--Star Wars' Mark Hamill hosts a special edition of the ".com" series this Saturday.

Entitled The Copper Renaissance, the program focuses on the future of high speed digital communications and explores the integration of the Internet, video and the telephone -- announced Ron Godfrey of TV Interactive, the show's producer.

There has been a great deal of speculation regarding the future of high speed communications with the majority of industry players vying to develop the technology along four platforms: satellite, fiber optics, cable television lines, and existing copper telephone lines.

"The answer lies in the existing infrastructure, copper lines and fiber optics," said Ron Godfrey, executive producer of the series. "The reason; very few households have access to satellite dishes, and the coaxial cable that we receive our cable TV through is limited in its ability to upload information.

"Copper lines are in virtually every household, and can carry digital information to and from users about one hundred times faster than conventional dial-up modems. U.S. West Communications has developed technology that maximizes the inherent speed of existing copper lines and provides customers with seamless integration of telephones, television, and the Internet," concluded Godfrey.

The technology that makes this possible is called VDSL (Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line). VDSL service is delivered to the home through one box, a residential "Gateway," that allows users to receive a variety of services simultaneously.

U.S. West Communications' VDSL service includes over 120 channels of 100% digital video, with advanced features including Near On-demand Video, Digital Music, and Electronic Program Guide. The same technology transports quality telephone service and high-speed online connectivity with superior reliability.

"The high-tech industry will continue to develop new ways to move information over this platform or that for many years to come," said Patty Elliott, co-executive producer of the series. "But, U.S. West's 25 million customers can enjoy the future of high speed today, thanks to the ingenuity of U.S. West's copper renaissance."

Copper Renaissance includes guest commentary from Solomon Trujillo, president and CEO of U.S. West Communications, Vickey Callen, V.P. and general manager of U.S. West Communications' Cable and Multimedia, and Stephen Farquhar, general manager of U.S. West Telechoice, Phoenix.

In addition to national broadcast on ".com," the special report will be reformatted and distributed via satellite as a Video News Release to over 700 domestic television stations. And, like all of TVI's programs the program is available for viewing on the Internet.

The ".com" viewer site, http://www.tviweb.com, allows visitors to watch Copper Renaissance and other stories in their entirety, on-demand and in full-motion video for months after the program has aired. From the site, visitors may access more information through hot-links to many outstanding educational resources on the Web.

".com" is a magazine format style television program, produced and paid for by TV Interactive. The program airs nationally on CNBC, Saturday, Sept. 5, at Noon Eastern Time. Based in Fort Lauderdale, TVI is a highly acclaimed producer of original television programming and a pioneer in Web broadcasting.

    CONTACT:  TV Interactive, Fort Lauderdale
               Mark Hirsch, Public Relations Manager
               954/772-3200, x48
               [e-mail]