In the era of the Internet of Things, it’s fun to see smart homes becoming an option for residents in 200 Minnesota communities. Thanks to Mediacom for sending their press release…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mediacom Broadband Delivers Smart Home Technology to 250,000 Minnesota Homes

Automated homes just a click away with smartphones, tablets, laptops

GRAND RAPIDS, MN – March 31, 2014 – The ability to control a home with a swipe of a smartphone or tablet is becoming a reality for residents in 200 Minnesota communities where broadband service is delivered by Mediacom Communications. The company announced today that its new home automation and security service, called Home Controller, is now available to the nearly 250,000 homes located along Mediacom’s fiber-optic network deployed throughout much of Minnesota.

Home Controller uses a broadband connection and touch-screen pad to give homeowners control, from virtually anywhere in the world, to turn lights on and off, adjust temperatures, activate or change security settings, and keep a watchful eye on the front porch or back door.

“The always-connected home is no longer a scene from ‘The Jetsons,’” said Mediacom Regional Vice President Bill Jensen. “Mediacom’s extensive broadband network is widely available and technology improvements have lowered costs, making this an affordable and more mainstream service that is as valuable to families living in smaller communities as it is to Metro area homeowners.”

The smart home technology operates through a secure wireless network in homes connected to Mediacom’s high-speed Internet service. Automated features include live cameras; thermostat controls; detectors for carbon monoxide, moisture and smoke; motion sensors and security alerts. All features are customized to each home and can be controlled with smartphones, tablets, or a computer Web browser.

Jensen explained that Home Controller customers simply tap an icon on their smartphones or tablets to remotely set thermostats or turn lights on or off. Even more popular, he said, are monitoring features such as those that provide alerts every time a door is opened. “Do you wonder if your kids returned from school at 3:30 pm? Home Controller can keep a log of every time a door is opened, and a camera delivers real-time images to let you see who has come in or out,” Jensen said.

“Mediacom is the first cable company to launch home automation and home security services to non-metropolitan areas,” said Joe Appio, Mediacom’s Vice President of Home Management. “Our goal is to activate smarter homes, one house at a time, and give our customers a best-in-class experience that is simple and easy to use”.

In recent weeks Mediacom has demonstrated its home automation and security service at community home shows in Redwood Falls, Grand Rapids and several metro-area communities. The hands-on demo allowed home show visitors to tap a screen that changed lights, triggered an alarm or captured on image with a camera monitor.

“What Home Controller is showing Minnesota consumers is that they can use the power of Mediacom’s broadband network to run their homes more efficiently, with new home automation technology to take care of what’s most important to them,” Appio added.

A Home Controller system requires Mediacom’s Internet service and is available at price levels ranging from $34.99 per month to $44.99 per month. Security features connect to UL-certified emergency response centers where licensed professionals monitor and respond to alarms 24 hours a day.

To make the connected home a reality, Mediacom’s Home Controller uses the iControl software platform. The software has earned top awards within the electronics industry and top 100 winner of the House Product of the Year Award.

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About Mediacom Communications Corporation:
Mediacom Communications is the nation’s eighth largest cable television company and one of the leading cable operators focused on serving the smaller cities in the United States, with a significant concentration in the Midwestern and Southeastern regions. Mediacom Communications offers a wide array of broadband products and services, including traditional and advanced video services such as digital television, video-on-demand, digital video recorders, high-definition television, as well as high-speed Internet access and phone service. Through Mediacom Business, the Company offers affordable broadband communications solutions that can be tailored to any size business.

Media Contact:
Phyllis Peters, Mediacom
Office: 515-246-2295  | Mobile: 515-707-7148
ppeters@mediacomcc.com

Mediacom is the only U.S. cable company and broadband provider to deploy the new-generation technology of home automation and security to wide areas of consumers living in non-urban areas. Mediacom’s Home Controller service is now available to residents in 200 Minnesota communities located in these 48 counties where the company’s fiber-optic network delivers broadband service.

Lac qui Parle                 Rice

Big Stone                     Lake                             Rock

Blue Earth                    Le Sueur                       Scott

Brown                           Lincoln                         Sibley

Carlton                        McLeod                        St Louis

Carver                          Meeker                        Stearns

Chippewa                     Mower                          Steele

Cottonwood                  Murray                         Stevens

Dodge                          Nicollet                         Swift

Faribault                       Nobles                          Traverse

Fillmore                        Olmsted                       Wabasha

Goodhue                       Pine                             Watonwan

Hennepin                      Pipestone                     Waseca

Houston                        Pope                            Winona

Itasca                           Redwood                      Wright

Kandiyohi                     Renville                      Yellow Medicine