Cincinnati Bell Introduces Text Messaging and SpinVox for the Home Phone

November 24, 2008

Cincinnati Bell is the First U.S. Carrier to Offer Wireless Functionality on Landlines

CINCINNATI, Nov 24, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Continuing its tradition of launching new and innovative products and services, Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE: CBB) today introduced the Smart Home Phone, a cutting-edge device that allows customers to send and receive SMS text messages, review a list of their voicemail entries, play or delete them in any order, and even read them as text messages.

Cincinnati Bell is the first carrier in the country to make text messaging available as a home-phone calling feature. The Smart Home Phone also allows Cincinnati Bell landline customers to look up information in the Yellow Pages, and read news, weather, and sports at the push of a button.

"It's time the home phone provided the same conveniences as a wireless phone," said Dave Heimbach, vice president of product development at Cincinnati Bell. "The Smart Home Phone delivers cool, exciting features for our customers by leveraging Cincinnati Bell's strengths in wireline, wireless, and high-speed Internet services."

Using the Smart Home Phone's cordless handset, customers can send and receive SMS text messages to and from any text-message-enabled phone around the world.

Smart Home Phone's visual voicemail feature allows customers to view a list of messages received and listen to them in order of importance. Customers can also choose to receive visible voicemail by having any voice message automatically converted and sent to them as a text using the SpinVox service. SpinVox, the world's most popular carrier of voice-to-text messaging service, is offered by Cincinnati Bell to wireless, and now wireline, customers. In 2007, Cincinnati Bell became the first U.S. carrier to offer SpinVox.

Customers will also be able to review Yellow Pages content to search for and connect with local businesses and gain access to real-time Internet-based content such as local weather reports and sports scores.

The Smart Home Phone uses a combination of Cincinnati Bell's ZoomTown high-speed Internet and home phone services. The Smart Home Phone handset is $29.99 for customers who have a ZoomTown and home phone bundle. Regular retail price is $129.99. In addition, Smart Home Phone customers receive three months of free text messaging and SpinVox service, with the option to purchase unlimited texting for $9.99 per month and unlimited SpinVox for $5.99 per month after the trial period.

Designing the technology platform to accommodate additional integrated features, Cincinnati Bell plans to introduce Smart Home Phone access to wireless address books, white pages, and e-mail in the future.

For additional information and product specifications, visit any Cincinnati Bell retail store or www.cincinnatibell.com/smarthomephone.

About Cincinnati Bell Inc.

With headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Bell (NYSE: CBB) provides integrated communications solutions--including local, long distance, data, Internet, and wireless services--that help keep residential and business customers in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton connected with each other and with the world.

In addition, businesses ranging in size from start-up companies to large enterprises turn to Cincinnati Bell for efficient, scalable office communications systems as well as complex information technology solutions including data center and managed services.

Cincinnati Bell conducts its operations through three business segments: Wireline, Wireless, and Technology Solutions. For more information, visit www.cincinnatibell.com.

SOURCE: Cincinnati Bell Inc.

Cincinnati Bell Inc. Lisa McLaughlin, 513-368-1860 lmclaughlin@hsr.com