Atlantic Broadband, several months after closing its $1.125 billion purchase of systems in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio from WideOpenWest, said it will rebrand its systems throughout the country under the Breezeline name, and added that it plans to launch a streaming video product — Breezeline Stream TV — later this year.
Atlantic Broadband, part of Canadian telco Cogeco Communications, had operated primarily on the East Coast, but said in a press release that the addition of the Ohio systems prompted the name change. The company closed on the purchase of the WOW systems, which pass about 688,000 homes and have nearly 200,000 broadband customers, in September.
“We’re no longer just an East Coast provider, and we’ve long offered much more than broadband, so our company identity must evolve with us,” Atlantic Broadband president Frank van der Post said in a statement. “The name Breezeline marks the beginning of a new, exciting era of transforming our company through new growth, while also elevating the customer experience through enhanced customer care options, innovative products and investment in the latest technologies.”
Atlantic Broadband began expanding its fiber network last year, and plans to extend its reach to more than 70,000 homes in New Hampshire and West Virginia with its fiber-to-the-home technology.
Breezeline Stream TV is a cloud-based video offering that will allow customers to access live and recorded programming on compatible devices in and out of the home. The service will be available in select markets early this year and will expand throughout 2022.
Atlantic Broadband said it will introduce Breezeline in its existing markets beginning today (January 10) and the former WOW communities will transition to the new moniker by the summer. The company also has launched a series of new customer care initiatives, including enhanced self-service options, a new online experience and simplified, transparent pricing. A new customer app is planned for release early this year.
“The Breezeline name was chosen to convey our commitment to providing easy access to connected experiences for our customers,” Breezeline VP of marketing Julie Sullivan said in a press release. “The Breezeline logo, a five-point pinwheel, represents our customers and the communities we serve, the innovation and services that enrich customers’ lives and the elevated experiences we strive to provide in a seamlessly connected world. The pinwheel also implies motion — symbolic of both high-speed connectivity and the ease with which customers can interact with our company and services.”
Atlantic Broadband is the eighth-largest cable operator in the U.S. and provides residential and business internet, TV and voice services to customers in 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. ■
