UPC to launch new Horizon Wi-Free Service

Thursday 16th January, 2014 - UPC is trialling a revolutionary new Wi-Fi service with 10,000 Broadband customers in Limerick. The new Horizon Wi-Free service is free to UPC Broadband customers. It allows them to seamlessly connect their mobile devices to a separate UPC Wi-Fi service when visiting any other participating UPC Broadband home.
Horizon Wi-Free is a unique, free service from Ireland’s leading TV, broadband and communications innovator, UPC. It means that you don’t have to ask your host for their Wi-
Fi password or use expensive 3/4G. When customers set their device to connect once, it will automatically connect every time after that.

Ronan McEvoy, Head of Consumer Products, UPC Ireland said, “The internet is all about sharing, so we thought ‘why not share the internet itself’? UPC’s Horizon Wi-Free service means you can still enjoy the benefits of our Fibre Powered Broadband when you’re visiting friends. With reliable, fast and secure Wi-Free broadband, you can keep up to date with news, live match scores and any other content you really want to see.”

Using UPC’s current Fibre Power network, Horizon Wi-Free creates a new dedicated Wi-Fi network in UPC Broadband homes which is independent of the existing Wi-Fi
network. Existing customers will continue to use their Wi-Fi network without any impact, while a new, second Wi-Fi network will enable the visitor to automatically connect to reliable and secure Wi-Fi.

With Horizon Wi-Free, there’s no need to share the specific household Wi-Fi password with visitors meaning the private home network and Wi-Fi password remain fully
secure. Horizon Wi-Free doesn’t impact the broadband speed, usage or security of the home user. In addition, up to five people can connect to each Horizon Wi-Free hot spot at a time. Horizon Wi-Free will first be available in Limerick and rolled out nationwide to over 150,000 customers thereafter.

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Notes

Limerick is the location of UPC’s national customer care and administration centre where UPC employs 400 staff. UPC is Ireland’s leading TV, broadband and communications
innovator. Its fibre power network reaches over 745,000 Irish homes, following from UPC’s investments of over half a billion euro in its network. UPC is the market leader in triple play services bringing digital TV, superfast broadband and phone services combined to over 175,000 homes who already avail of the service.