Cox Communications

Cox Communications, Inc.

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1962
Headquarters	1400 Lake Hearn Drive near Atlanta, Georgia 30319 U.S.A.
Key people	Patrick J. Esser, President James C. Kennedy, Chairman Anne Cox Chambers, Director
Products	Cable television, Broadband internet, VoIP, Wireless
Revenue	$9.1B (2010)
Net income	Not currently available
Employees	22,350 (2004)
Parent	Cox Enterprises
Website	http://www.cox.com

Cox Communications (also known as Cox Cable and formerly Cox Broadcasting Corporation and Dimension Cable Services) is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States. It is the third-largest^[1] cable television provider in the United States, serving more than 6.2 million customers, including 2.9 million digital cable subscribers, 3.5 million Internet subscribers, and 2.2 million digital telephone subscribers.^[2] Cox is headquartered at 1400 Lake Hearn Drive in Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S., north of Atlanta.^[3]

One of its prominent marketing trademarks is a fictional animated "spokesman" character named Digital Max, used from 2005 through 2008. The phasing out of Digital Max in 2008 was followed by the introduction of the current Cox mascots, the "Digeez," little digital helpmates featured in many of Cox Communications brand commercials. The new little helpers, dressed in all white with blue goggles and hands, closely resemble the main character from the 1982 arcade game, "Dig Dug".

History

Original version of current corporate logo, used from 1996 through 2007

Cox Enterprises expanded into the cable television industry in 1962 by purchasing a number of cable systems in Lewistown, Lock Haven and Tyrone, Pennsylvania, followed by systems in California, Oregon and Washington. The subsidiary company, Cox Broadcasting Corporation (later renamed to Cox Communications), was not officially formed until 1964, when it was established as a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. It was taken private by Cox Enterprises in 1985.

• In 1993 Cox began offering telecommunications services to businesses (the first multiple system cable operator to do so). This eventually grew into Cox Business, which now represents $1 billion in annual revenue.
• In 1997 Cox became the first multiple system cable operator to offer phone services to customers following the 1996 Telecom Act.
• In 1999 Cox acquired the cable television assets of Media General in Fairfax County and Fredericksburg, Virginia.
• In 2000 Cox Communications acquired Multimedia Cablevision with assets in Kansas, Oklahoma and North Carolina.
• In 2004, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors found Cox Communications guilty of violating an agreement with the county which stated that all homes served by Cox within Fairfax County would be digital ready with the new fiber optic network by June 2003. When this term expired with less than 30% of the County having been completed, the Board of Supervisors elected to fine Cox $100 per day from the originally agreed completion date, until such time as the work was completed; which was in January 2006. The Board also forbade Cox from raising rates to recover the cost of the fine for a period of 10 years from the actual completion date. The total fine was approx. $93000.^[4]
• On November 1, 2005, Cox announced the sale of all of its Texas, Missouri, Mississippi and North Carolina properties, as well as some systems in Arkansas, California, Louisiana and Oklahoma to Cebridge Communications. The sale closed in 2006 and those systems were transitioned by their new owner from Cox branding to Suddenlink Communications.
• On May 14, 2007, Cox announced that they had sold their investment in Discovery Communications for the Travel Channel, related assets, and $1.3 billion.^[5]
• On 2007, Diversity Inc. magazine named Cox Communications #25 in its Top 50 Companies for Diversity. Cox climbed to the sixth position on Diversity Inc's 2008 list.^[6] Also in 2008, Cox was named #8 on the Top 10 Companies for African Americans.^[7]
• On November 19, 2010, Cox began offering 'Unbelievably Fair' Wireless services in Orange County CA, Omaha NE, Hampton Roads VA.
• In September 2011, Cox Home Security was added to their suite of products listed on their website. ^[8] This new service utilizes advanced technologies similar to the Home Security products offered by other MSO's such as Comcast.

Other business units

Cox Communications' "Digeez" mascot, also more commonly known as a "Digital friend."

• Cox Business: Provides business level video, voice and Internet services.
• Cox Media: Advertising Sales
• Travel Media, Inc.: Travel Channel and TravelChannel.com

Privatization

In 2004, Cox Enterprises announced its intention to purchase those shares of Cox Communications which it did not already own. A $6.6 Billion tender offer was completed in December of that year, and Cox Communications has been a wholly owned subsidiary ever since.^[9] This was the second time Cox was taken private by Cox Enterprises.

Residential services

Cox Cable TV

Cox distributes standard definition and high definition cable television programming, including Digital Cable.^[10] Cox has no plans to discontinue an analog level of service as part of the digital transition.^[11] Cox launched Digital Cable on its Orange County system in 1997. In February, 2008 Cox started to implement Switched Digital Video (SDV) technology in some of their markets.^[12]

Digital video recorder

Cox offers digital video recorder service, provided using Motorola,^[13] Scientific-Atlanta or Moxi equipment depending on the local market.

OnDemand

Cox offers video on demand service in the majority of its markets under the name On Demand. On Demand offerings are fairly standardized, portal based, carry VODnets like The Ski Channel, and in some markets include High Definition. Cox offers replays of ABC and NBC programming in some markets while Comcast includes offerings BBC America and CBS.^[14]

Cox High Speed Internet

Cox offers four levels of High Speed Internet in all of its markets, Starter, Essential, Preferred and Premier. Some Cox markets also offer an Ultimate speed tier with download speeds up to 50 Mbit/s. Cox initially launched High Speed Internet in 1996 in its Orange County system.^[15] Cox licensed the PowerBoost technology in 2007 and offers it on the Preferred and Premier level of service.^[16] Top service download speeds are between 25 and 50 Mbit/s. Monthly bandwidth caps are in place for all four levels of service, with 400 gb/month download being the largest.^[17] In 2011, the FCC released the "Measuring Broadband America" report where it was revealed that many broadband providers provided lower than advertised internet speeds to their consumers. Analysis of the report data showed that Cox Cable only delivered 83.4% of its advertised internet speed (on speeds above 3mbps) to its customers.^[18] Cox High Speed Internet won the PC Magazine Readers' Choice Award for High Speed Internet in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.^[19]

In September 2011, Cox announced the availability of a data usage meter for customers to check their data usage. As of 2011^[update], Cox does not charge customers who exceed their usage amount for each month. It is unknown if this policy will change in the future.^[20]

Cox Digital Telephone

Cox offers telephone service in the majority of its services areas. Various technologies, including circuit switched and VoIP systems are used depending on service areas.^[21] Cox has won multiple J.D. Power and Associates awards for its telephone service.^[22]

Cox Business

Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for more than 260,000 small and regional businesses, including healthcare providers, K-12 and higher education, financial institutions and federal, state and local government organizations. According to Vertical Systems Group, Cox Business is the fourth largest provider of business Ethernet services in the U.S. based on customer ports and the company ranked highest among small/midsize business data service providers in J.D. Power and Associates telecommunications studies in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Cox Business has a long-standing commitment to voice innovation. It was one of the early adopters of Voice over IP technology and, in 2007, Cox became the first cable provider in North America to deploy a fully owned and managed IP telephony service for businesses, Cox Business VoiceManager. Cox Business is expected to launch Managed IP PBX, SIP Trunking and IP Centrex services in 2011, allowing customers to more efficiently route voice traffic over Internet Protocol. Cox Business currently supports more than 800,000 business phone lines.

Cox Wireless

Cox currently offers mobile phone and wireless services in three US markets including Orange County, Calif., Hampton Roads Virg., and Omaha NE. Cox markets their wireless service as 'Unbelievably Fair' Wireless due to a wireless plan which returns money for unused minutes called "Moneyback Minutes." ^[23] This allows customers to receive up to $20 per month added back to their bill in the event that customers have left over minutes. Cox offers a full range of devices manufactured by Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Kyocera, and LG.

Cox currently utilizes Sprint's voice and 3G networks but has plans to build their own as well as a 4G LTE network. ^[23]

Cox Wireless Decommission On May 24,2011 Cox Communications announced it will decommission it's plans to build a 3G wireless network. It will instead offer Sprint service to half of its current footprint and will operate as a Sprint MVNO by then end of 2011. It is important to note that no Cox Wireless customers had ever utilized this network.

Current systems

Arizona

• Phoenix Metro Area, which also services Coolidge, Casa Grande, Florence, Surprise and Wickenburg.
• Tucson, which also services Sierra Vista, Green Valley, Benson, Tombstone, Willcox, Douglas, Fort Huachuca, Huachuca City, St David and Patagonia.

Arkansas

• Bentonville Also Services: Bella Vista, Bentonville, Cave Springs, Centerton, Gravette, Highlands, Hiwasse
• Berryville Also Services: Beaver City, Berryville, Eureka Springs, Green Forest, Holiday Island
• Fayetteville Also Services: Elkins, Farmington, Fayetteville, Goshen, Greenland, Lincoln, Prairie Grove, West Fork, Winslow
• Fort Smith Also Services: Alma, Arkoma OK, Barling, Bonanza, Cameron OK, Cedarville, Central City, Chester, Dora, Dyer, Excelsior, Fort Smith, Greenwood, Hackett, Highway 71, Huntington, Jenny Lind, Kibler, Lake Alma, Midland, Mansfield, Lavaca, Mountainburg, Mulberry, Muldrow OK, Pocola OK, Rock Island, Roland OK, Rudy, Rye Hill, Sugarloaf area, Van Buren, White Bluff
• Harrison Also Services: Bellefonte, Bergman, Dogpatch, Harrison, Valley Springs
• Siloam Springs Also Services: Colcord, Decatur, Gentry, Siloam Springs, Watts, West Siloam Springs
• Springdale Also Services: Bethel Heights, Goshen, Elm Springs, Johnson, Lowell, Rogers, Sonora, Springdale, Tontitown
• Van Buren Also Services: Van Buren, See also Fort Smith

California

• Orange County (South), includes local cablecast channel, Cox3 ^[24]
• Palos Verdes
• San Diego, includes local cablecast channel, 4 San Diego with broadcast rights for the San Diego Padres (Coverage area includes Downtown, the southern and eastern suburban cities, and northern suburban cities such as Oceanside, Escondido, and Poway; the bulk of San Diego city itself is covered by Time Warner Cable)
• Santa Barbara

Connecticut

• Enfield, also services East Granby, East Windsor, Granby, Hartland, Somers, Stafford, Suffield, Union, and Windsor Locks
• Manchester, also services Glastonbury, Newington, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, and Wethersfield
• Meriden, also services Cheshire and Southington

Florida

• Central Florida (Gainesville and Ocala)
• Gulf Coast (Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar, Mary Esther, Crestview, Destin, Niceville, Freeport, Miramar Beach, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and parts of Cantonment and Santa Rosa Beach)

Georgia

• Middle Georgia (Macon, Warner Robins and surrounding areas)

Idaho

• Sun Valley and surrounding areas

Iowa

• Council Bluffs including Underwood, Crescent, and Carter Lake; operated as part of the Omaha system.

Kansas

• Wichita Area and Central Kansas: Andover, Augusta, Arkansas City, Derby, Halstead, Maize, Rose Hill, Haysville, Salina, El Dorado, Bel Aire, Wichita, Valley Center, Winfield, Lindsborg, Hutchinson, Newton, Sedgwick, Sterling
• Southeast Kansas: Coffeyville, Iola, Pittsburg
• Southwest Kansas: Great Bend, Lyons, Kingman, Pratt, Garden City, Ford County
• Northeast Kansas: Manhattan, Topeka
• Additional Kansas Communities: Crawford Co., Riley, Arma, Dearing, Auburn, Dodge City, Hesston, McPherson, Saline Co., Hoisington, Milford, Erie, Humboldt, Mulvane, Benton, Finney County, Berryton, Nickerson, Tecumseh, Burrton, Franklin, Jardine, Ogden, Caney, Frontenac, Jefferson, Park City, Towanda, Cheney, Junction City, Tyro, Cherokee Co., Garden Plain, Kechi, Pottwawatomie, Cherryvale, Gas, Weir, Chicopee, Geary, Kinsley, Goddard, Larned, Cunningham, Grandview Plza, Yates Center

Louisiana

• New Orleans, flagship of Cox Sports Television
• Baton Rouge, includes local cablecast channel, "Cox 4"
• Lafayette

Massachusetts

• Holland

Nebraska

• Omaha - serving Omaha, Elkhorn, Bennington, Waterloo, Valley, Gretna, Bellevue, Papillion, and LaVista.

Nevada

• Las Vegas
• Boulder City

Ohio

• Cleveland area (Broadview Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Fairview Park, Lakewood, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township, Parma, Parma Heights, Rocky River and Seven Hills)

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma City, includes local cablecast channel The Cox Channel
• South Coffeyville
• Tulsa, includes local cablecast channel The Cox Channel (Coverage area includes Claremore, Owasso, Catoosa, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Broken Arrow, Coweta, Bixby, Glenpool & Kiefer)

Rhode Island

• Statewide, includes cablecast channel Cox Sports

Virginia

• Fairfax County
• Fredericksburg
• Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News metro area), includes local cablecast channel Cox 11
• Roanoke

Carriage controversies

2000 dispute with Fox

On January 1, 2000 Cox was involved into a retransmission consent dispute with News Corporation (the parent company of the Fox broadcast network), pulling four Fox owned-and-operated stations, after retransmission consent talks between News Corp. and Cox broke down, reportedly because Fox had denied permission for Cox to broadcast programming on its O&O stations unless Cox gave it two channel slots on its digital cable service. The affected stations were WJW-TV in Cleveland, Ohio (now owned by Local TV), KTBC in Austin, Texas, KRIV in Houston, Texas and KDFW in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, off its cable systems in those areas; another Fox O&O WHBQ-TV in Memphis, was also pulled from its Jonesboro, Arkansas system (of the mentioned systems, only Cleveland metropolitan area continues to be serviced by Cox). The removal of these stations, which were temporarily replaced with premium service Starz! Family (which was made available to subscribers for free), blacked out Fox programming to 425,000 Cox customers. The blackout lasted six days as the two sides came to an agreement on January 6, and the Fox-owned stations were brought back to the systems. Cox gave $1 refunds of their January cable bill to roughly 90,000 subscribers in Texas and Arkansas as compensation.^[25]

In a separate dispute that occurred around the same time, customers in Hampton Roads, Virginia lost access to LIN TV-owned Fox affiliate WVBT (channel 43) on January 1, 2000; retransmission talks between WVBT and Cox broke down, reportedly due to a demand by WVBT to be placed somewhere between channels 2 and 14 (it had been broadcast on channel 43). Cox refused to move WVBT to lower channel number; the channel space was filled in the interim by pay channel HBO Family. It was not until February 5 of that year that the station resumed on Cox's Hampton Roads system (remaining on channel 43), after an agreement was reached during an ten-hour arbitration session.^[26] Cox did not offer rebates to its 335,000 subscribers in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Cleveland, Ohio who also lost their Fox stations.

References

1. ^ NCTA Top 25 MSO's
2. ^ Cox 2007 Q2 News Release
3. ^ "Atlanta Headquarters." Cox Communications. Retrieved on April 22, 2009.
4. ^ [1], Retrieved on June 25, 2010
5. ^ "Press release announcing sale of the Travel Channel to Cox Communications.". http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070514006084&newsLang=en. 
6. ^ The 2008 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity, Retrieved on April 6, 2008
7. ^ No. 25: Cox Communications
8. ^ [2]
9. ^ System Dominoes - 5/2/2005 - Multichannel News
10. ^ Cox Communications - High Speed Internet services in Cox Communications
11. ^ Analog is Dead. Long Live Analog - 2/18/2008 8:22:00 AM - Multichannel News
12. ^ Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format
13. ^ Cox Faces HDTV Set-Top Shortages - 2/6/2008 11:47:00 AM - Multichannel News
14. ^ NBC Shows to Be Available On-Demand for Cox Subscribers - 9/24/2007 12:53:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable
15. ^ Joe Rooney: Making a Bundle - 12/10/2007 - Broadcasting & Cable
16. ^ Cox High Speed Internet Customers Get PowerBoost(TM). - Free Online Library
17. ^ Limitations of Service
18. ^ FCC data shows customers aren't always getting the broadband they pay for
19. ^ Trustworthy Tech - News and Analysis by PC Magazine
20. ^ Cox Usage Meter Hits Retrieved September 22, 2011
21. ^ Voice over Internet Protocol: Ready for Prime Time
22. ^ "Cox Digital Telephone Receives J.D. Power and Associates' Highest Honor in the West Two Years in a Row". Business Wire. July 21, 2004. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_July_21/ai_n6116336. 
23. ^ ^{a b} Gardner, W. David (2010-11-19). "Cox Communications Launches Cell Service". InformationWeek. http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/client/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228300247. Retrieved 2010-12-22. 
24. ^ Cox3 website
25. ^ Moss, Linda. "Some Subs Who Lost Fox Get Refunds from Cox", Multichannel News, January 17, 2000. Retrieved February 25, 2011 from HighBeam Research.
26. ^ Clark, Michael. "Fox 43 is Back...On Cox 43; Daylong Arbitration Brings WVBT Back to Former TV Channel Position", The Virginian-Pilot, February 5, 2000. Retrieved February 25, 2011 from HighBeam Research.

External links

• Cox Communications' official website
• Cox HSI & CATV support forum VIA dslreports.com (Registration required)