Manx Telecom PLC Upcoming launch of 80 Mbps superfast broadband

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Manx Telecom PLC

16 October 2014

Manx Telecom Plc

Upcoming launch of 80 Megabits per second superfast broadband

Manx Telecom Plc (AIM: MANX; the "Company"), the leading communication solutions provider on the Isle of Man, announces that a new superfast fixed line broadband service will be available from February next year. The service will initially be available to around 50% of homes and businesses.

The new VDSL Plus service, which uses a new frequency on Manx Telecom's existing fibre optic network, will deliver the fastest fixed line broadband on the Island with speeds of up to 80 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and up to 10Mbps upload.

Mike Dee, Manx Telecom Plc's Chief Executive Officer, said:

"VDSL Plus represents another massive leap forward in broadband speeds and keeps the Isle of Man at the forefront of superfast broadband availability. The increasing popularity of households using multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, games consoles, laptops and internet-enabled TVs means real demand for higher broadband speeds for home entertainment. The improved upload speeds of VDSL Plus also means greater efficiency for the ever increasing services and applications businesses use over their broadband connection. This is another major boost for the Island's status as a great place to live and do business and a result of our long-term commitment to invest in new technologies like VDSL and fibre connectivity."

Like all internet services, the availability of VDSL Plus is dependent on the length of the copper line between the serving equipment and the service users' premises. To achieve the new higher speeds, lines to the premises must be 1km or less. The fact that around 50% of homes and businesses on the Island will have access to VDSL Plus from launch is due to Manx Telecom's early investment in fibre optic cabling to street cabinets and basements (FTTC & FTTB), bringing more homes and businesses within the 1km threshold.

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About Manx Telecom

-- Manx Telecom is the leading communication solutions provider on the Isle of Man, offering a wide range of fixed line, broadband, mobile, and data centre services to businesses, consumers and the public sector on the Isle of Man as well as a growing portfolio of innovative hosting and "Smart SIM" solutions to off-Island customers.

-- Manx Telecom has a record of innovation, being the first European operator to launch a 3G mobile service and the first in the world to launch a 3.5G mobile service. 4G services launched in the summer of 2014, while the Company's high speed VDSL broadband service (Ultima) is available to over 80 per cent of homes on the Island.

-- The Company has two Tier 3 data centres plus international connectivity and its operations are business-critical to the economic strategy of the Isle of Man.

-- One of the largest employers on the Island, Manx Telecom employs over 280 people. The company plays a major role in the wider community through a range of activities, including charitable donations, sponsorships, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

-- The company is proud to sponsor the Manx Telecom Parish Walk, Manx Telecom End2End Mountain Bike Challenge, Team Manx Telecom (Manx Road Club) and Royal Manx Agricultural Show as well as other smaller events. Manx Telecom also donates annually to local causes through the company's "It's our Community" programme.

-- The Isle of Man has a resilient and growing economy which has experienced 29 years of unbroken GDP growth. Unemployment is low at approximately 2.4 per cent, and there is a zero per cent corporate tax rate which applies to the vast majority of Manx Telecom's business and means that the Group currently pays no corporation tax on its annual profits.

-- Manx Telecom is listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange with the ticker MANX.

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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