CenturyTel and EchoStar sign strategic partnership agreement to offer CenturyTel / DISH Network satellite TV services.MONROE, La. & ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- CenturyTel, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :CTL See control key. 1. CTL - Checkout Test language. 2. CTL - Compiler Target Language. 3. CTL - Computational Tree Logic ) and EchoStar Communications Corporation EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is the parent company of DISH Network and the maintainer of the satellite fleet that provides the signal that DISH Network markets. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :DISH) announced today a strategic partnership that will allow it to provide CenturyTel | DISH Network See DBS. satellite television to households in 22 states served by CenturyTel. The relationship allows CenturyTel to offer customers multi-channel digital TV as part of its full suite of bundled product and service offerings. CenturyTel expects to begin offering its co-branded satellite TV services by the end of the year in a one-bill, one-point-of-contact service. "Integrating video entertainment services into our product and service bundles offers our customers more choice, value and convenience," said Glen F. Post, III, CenturyTel chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "This agreement puts CenturyTel in a strong strategic position to compete with other service providers in our markets and should help drive additional revenue." Under this arrangement, CenturyTel will be the primary point of contact for CenturyTel | DISH customers with responsibility for marketing, account management and billing-related inquiries. Programming, installation and technical support will be handled by a co-branded DISH Network team. "We're pleased with this opportunity to provide CenturyTel customers the savings and convenience of a single bill and single point of contact for DISH Network's all-digital TV and CenturyTel communications services," said Charles Ergen, chairman and chief executive officer at EchoStar. "We are also excited about the additional leverage that this partnership gives us in our efforts to educate consumers on the benefits of satellite over cable." CenturyTel will market the satellite TV product as CenturyTel | DISH Network, offering CenturyTel customers hundreds of popular, all-digital TV channels including movies, sports, news, music and high-definition TV See HDTV. programming. The satellite TV product will be part of a bundle that may include local and long distance telephone service, multiple feature offerings and dial-up or high-speed DSL DSL in full Digital Subscriber Line Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary Internet service. Key Elements of the Co-Branded Partnership Include --Unified Customer Experience - CenturyTel will manage the customer relationship, allowing consumers to order, arrange installation and activate service from one source. --Single Bill - CenturyTel | DISH Network customers will be billed for their TV services as part of a single CenturyTel bill. --Bundling Flexibility - CenturyTel customers will have additional choice, better value and greater convenience in their communications and entertainment service bundles. --Co-Branding - The TV service will be co-branded as CenturyTel | DISH Network, delivering strategic marketing benefits for both EchoStar and CenturyTel. --CenturyTel Investment - CenturyTel will make a $25 million investment in EchoStar in the form of a convertible note. CenturyTel, Inc. provides communications services including local, long distance, Internet access See how to access the Internet. and data services to customers in 22 states. The company, headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) World's largest marketplace for securities. The exchange began as an informal meeting of 24 men in 1792 on what is now Wall Street in New York City. under the symbol CTL, and is included in the S&P 500 Index. CenturyTel is the 8th largest local exchange telephone company, based on access lines, in the United States. Visit CenturyTel at www.centurytel.com. EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH) serves more than 10.1 million satellite customers through its DISH Network(TM) and is a leading U.S. provider of advanced digital television services. DISH Network's services include hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV (High Definition TV) A set of digital television (DTV) standards that offer the highest resolution and sharpest picture. Although some HDTV sets are available in standard (rather square) screen sizes, the overwhelming majority of sets are wide screen, which eliminates , sports and international programming, together with professional and 24-hour customer service. DISH Network is the leader in the sale of digital video recorders (DVRs). J.D. Power and Associates ranks DISH Network No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction among Cable/Satellite TV Subscribers. Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH. Note to Editors: There is a pipe between CenturyTel and DISH Network. |
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