LIBERTY WINS SPEEDTEST AWARD FOR 2018 FASTEST FIXED NETWORK IN PUERTO RICO BY OOKLA FOR A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

The company significantly increased its Speed Score from last year

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – April 15, 2019 – For the second year in a row, Liberty Puerto Rico has received the 2018 Speedtest Award™ as Puerto Rico’s Fastest Fixed Network. Liberty won the title with a Speed Score™ of 47.08, which is well above Liberty’s 29.98 Speed Score last year and that of other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) on the island. 

Liberty also achieved top download and upload speeds of 115.04 Mbps and 14.74 Mbps, respectively. The Speedtest Award is based on analysis by Ookla® of 2,184,055 tests taken with Speedtest® which were carried out by consumers in Puerto Rico during the last six months of 2018. 

“Winning Ookla’s Speedtest Award as the internet provider in Puerto Rico with the fastest fixed network for the second year in a row is a validation of all the hard work that we have carried out to upgrade our network in recent years, even before the hurricanes hit Puerto Rico,” said Naji Khoury, president and CEO of Liberty Puerto Rico. “After the hurricanes, we increased our efforts to optimize our broadband network so we could provide higher Internet speeds, capacity and consistency, and thus accommodate our customers’ growing demand for bandwidth. Receiving this distinction for a second time means we are headed in the right direction.”

Speedtest Award winners are determined using a Speed Score that incorporates a measure of each provider’s download and upload speeds to rank network speed performance. Because most of the data transferred over the internet involves downloading, 90 percent of the final Speed Score is attributed to download speed and the remaining 10 percent to upload speed. 

The Speed Score uses a modified trimean to demonstrate the download and upload speeds that are available across a provider’s network. Ookla takes speeds from the 10th percentile, 50th percentile (used as the median) and 90th percentile, then combines them in a weighted average using a 1:2:1 ratio, respectively. Ookla places more emphasis on the median because that is the speed most customers experience on a daily basis. 

“Customers’ demand for bandwidth today is increasing, as their use and the number of electronic devices grows, be it for entertainment or work purposes,” comments Waldo Hooker, vice president of Customer Experience of Liberty Puerto Rico. “To deliver innovative products and services, we need to provide our customers with a fast and reliable Internet connection. We are proud of achieving this recognition for a second year in row and we will continue working hard to offer our customers the most reliable Internet service in our market.” 

“At Ookla, we are pleased to recognize Liberty Puerto Rico as the ISP with the Fastest Fixed Network in Puerto Rico for a second year in a row,” said Jamie Steven, executive vice president of operations at Ookla. “Liberty not only showed an outstanding ISP performance during Q3-Q4 2018, but also surpassed their Speed Score from the prior year by a significant margin.” 

Speedtest by Ookla users perform a Speedtest that measures the performance of both fixed and mobile operators, then the results are analyzed and reported by Ookla. The awards are only issued to top providers in the country. To see more on the Speedtest Award results for Puerto Rico, go to https://www.speedtest.net/awards/puerto_rico/2018?award_type=isp&time_period=q3-q4. 

Speedtest® by Ookla is considered the dominant global leader in internet performance, testing and metrics. The technology enables it to provide accurate and unbiased internet performance readings, which empowers consumers worldwide to check and troubleshoot their Internet speeds. Ookla is the global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network internet speed testing applications, data and analysis. More than 10 million tests are initiated each day across all Speedtest platforms, with over 23 billion completed to date. This gives Ookla the most comprehensive analytics on worldwide internet performance and accessibility. 

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About Liberty Puerto Rico:

Liberty Puerto Rico is a subsidiary of Liberty Latin America and has approximately 738,600 RGUs as of December 31, 2018 in 75 municipalities in the eastern, central, northern southern and western regions of Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.libertypr.com.  

About Liberty Latin America 

Liberty Latin America is a leading telecommunications company operating in over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean under the consumer brands VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil, BTC and Cabletica. The communications and entertainment services that we offer to our residential and business customers in the region include digital video, broadband internet, telephony and mobile services. Our business products and services include enterprise-grade connectivity, data center, hosting and managed solutions, as well as information technology solutions with customers ranging from small and medium enterprises to international companies and governmental agencies. In addition, Liberty Latin America operates a sub-sea and terrestrial fiber optic cable network that connects over 40 markets in the region.

Liberty Latin America has three separate classes of common shares, which are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbols "LILA" (Class A) and "LILAK" (Class C), and on the OTC link under the symbol "LILAB" (Class B). For more information, please visit www.lla.com.

Eastlink continues mobile expansion into Grande Prairie

Eastlink continues mobile expansion into Grande Prairie
Investment of $4 million over the last year into several more Canadian communities

• Consumers can expect:

• great value for money with simple pricing/plans

• ease of switching through contract buyout

• Worry-Free Data eliminating unexpected data overages

• Canada-wide coverage included in every plan at no additional charge

Grande Prairie, AB – Eastlink continues to bring more choice and competition to more Canadians with the expansion of its mobile service in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

“We are pleased to confirm the further expansion of our mobile service into more and more Canadian communities,” says Deborah Shaffner, CEO.  “Our goal continues to be to deliver the best possible experience for our customers by investing in the latest network technology, providing great value for money, and delivering customer service that exceeds our customers’ expectations.”

The company’s “customer-first” approach is what Eastlink says makes it different from its competitors.

“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished so far having launched and expanded our mobile service into six provinces over the last six years,” continues, Ms. Shaffner. “Customers tell us what they want and we work really hard to listen and deliver more of what is important to them; that includes simple plans, better value, fast network speed, extensive and reliable coverage, and a better overall customer service.”

Eastlink has invested more than $4 million in the past year ($1M in Grande Prairie alone) to expand its mobile network to several more Canadian communities including New Waterford, Baddeck, Tatamagouche in Nova Scotia, Goulds, Torbay, and Bell Island in Newfoundland/Labrador, Saint John, Fredericton, Shediac and Sussex in New Brunswick, and Chelmsford, Val Therese and Kirkland Lake in Ontario.

TDS brings you Netflix, YouTube on your CatchTV DVR

TDS customers can now launch the Netflix and YouTube app right from their CatchTV DVR.

CatchTV customers will no longer need to change inputs when deciding to watch Netflix and YouTube. It’s now easier than ever to watch all your favorite shows and videos in one easy click.

All customers need is a Netflix or YouTube account and a high-speed internet connection. Here are three ways you can access the apps from your CatchTV DVR:

1. Press the Menu button

2. Scroll left/right in the Main Menu

3. From the Apps Folder, you will find the Netflix and YouTube apps

Simply turn on your TV, click a button on your remote and log in to Netflix or YouTube. The Apps are already up on your CatchTV DVR.

CatchTV offer
Not a CatchTV customer? For a limited time, TDS is offering new CatchTV customers free rental of the Gateway for 12 months – risk free* and at a savings of $156 in rental costs. If you love TV, you’ll love CatchTV.

With CatchTV, customers enjoy the freedom of watching their favorite shows anytime, on any TV in their home, with a powerful DVR Gateway system. CatchTV allows customers to record up to six channels at the same time. Plus, CatchTV has an enormous amount of storage space so customers can build a library of their favorite shows.

The Gateway hosts all your TDS video services, and acts as the hub of your whole-home DVR system. Small, easy-to-hide media players connect the other TVs in your home for an additional $6 a month.

To order, call 855/696-8368 for pricing details or sign up at http://hellotds.com/catch-tv.

Disclaimer CatchTV: Functionality requires a Gateway set-top-box, a media player for each additional TV, and an advanced cable modem. Promotional offer includes the rental of the Gateway for the first 12 months (normally $13/mo.) Media players for additional TVs are $6 each. Advanced cable modem costs $10 per month. $4.99 DVR Service fee applies. Standard fees apply at the end of the promotional period. Free Installation includes installation of the advanced cable modem, Gateway and up to 5 media players. In a case of non-standard wiring, installation fees may apply if determined by the technician at the time of installation. CatchTV requires customer to subscribe to qualifying Internet and TV service. CatchTV is not available in all areas. Other conditions may apply.

*After 12 months, you will be charged $13/mo. unless you call to cancel.

CenturyLink Launching New Global Mesh Delivery Platform for Bandwidth-Heavy Streamed Content

Streamroot's peer-to-peer video delivery technology deployed within CenturyLink's CDN

MONROE, La., April 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- By recent estimates, the number of global OTT subscribers is 375 million and growing. Given the demands on OTT digital platforms, CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) announced a global agreement with Streamroot, a provider of peer-to-peer networking solutions that can be used in combination with CenturyLink's content delivery network (CDN). Called CenturyLink© CDN Mesh Delivery, the platform leverages a software-based mesh network to easily manage peak traffic loads.

To learn more about how CenturyLink's CDN Mesh Delivery combines the benefits of a global content delivery network with the resilience and scalability of a distributed mesh architecture, visit www.centurylink.com/cdn.

"The popularity of live events and the propensity for popular content to attract massive internet audiences on day and date releases is necessitating the adoption of new technologies to address peak traffic demands for OTT platforms, broadcasters and gaming companies," said Bill Wohnoutka, vice president of global internet and content delivery services. "By integrating Streamroot's peer-to-peer assisted CDN technology into our media delivery platform, CenturyLink can offer customers an advantage in their drive to deliver the highest quality user experiences globally."

CenturyLink's new mesh delivery platform intelligently sources video content from both a CDN and a mesh network of devices watching the same stream. This allows for rapid scalability and resiliency, even within hard-to-reach markets.

"Streamroot's work with CenturyLink demonstrates once more that the future of OTT streaming belongs to hybrid delivery," said Pierre-Louis Théron, CEO and Co-Founder of Streamroot. "The combination of CenturyLink's world-class CDN with Streamroot's proven peer-to-peer technology provides broadcasters a robust and scalable OTT delivery solution, and ushers in a new standard for large-scale video delivery to audiences around the world."

Key Facts

• CenturyLink's CDN Mesh Delivery is ideal for:

  • OTT platforms looking to scale delivery of popular series and catch-up TV in a cost-effective manner.

  • Streaming linear channels, such as sports championships and high-profile live events, which are expected to provide uninterrupted, high-quality service to anyone, anywhere.

  • Broadcasters and content producers that need to be prepared for unpredictable traffic spikes and rapid platform growth without further infrastructure investment.

• CenturyLink's CDN:

  • Delivered ~42.8 exabytes of data globally in 2018.

  • Answered 74.4 trillion requests globally for content like videos or photos in 2018.

  • Saw global year-over-year peak traffic growth (from 15.75 Tbps in 2017 to 27.98 Tbps in 2018).

  • Provides 40+ Tbps of total edge capacity across 6 continents in more than 100 major cities.

  • Offers 60 petabytes of storage.

• Streamroot is a leading provider of innovative video delivery technologies for media groups, content publishers and enterprise customers. The company delivered more than 7 billion video sessions globally in 2018, and manages an average of more than 300 million peer connections per day.

Additional Resources

• For more information about CenturyLink's CDN offerings, visit: www.centurylink.com/cdn.

About CenturyLink
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is the second largest U.S. communications provider to global enterprise customers. With customers in more than 60 countries and an intense focus on the customer experience, CenturyLink strives to be the world's best networking company by solving customers' increased demand for reliable and secure connections. The company also serves as its customers' trusted partner, helping them manage increased network and IT complexity and providing managed network and cyber security solutions that help protect their business.

Media Contacts:

CenturyLink:
Francie Dudrey
+1 720 226 4242
Francie.dudrey@centurylink.com

Streamroot:
Erica Beavers
+33 6 42 00 35 84
erica@streamroot.io

Ajax Systems attracts $10 million investment from Horizon Capital’s new fund EEGF III

Kyiv, Ukraine: Horizon Capital, a U.S. private-equity firm investing in high growth export-oriented and domestic companies in Ukraine and the near region, and Ajax Systems, a leading producer of smart security systems in Ukraine, have announced that Horizon Capital’s latest $200 million fund, Emerging Europe Growth Fund III, LP (EEGF III) has acquired a minority stake in the Company for $10 million.  EEGF III’s investment was made through the purchase of a portion of the shares held by SMRK, an early-stage financial investor in Ajax Systems, and a portion of the shares held by Company management.

Founded in 2011, Ajax Systems is one of Europe’s leading professional security systems manufacturers.  Today, the Company’s products are sold in over 75 countries world-wide.  Ajax Systems enjoys an impressive track record of revenue growth and profitability and is well-positioned for continued expansion given the smart home security market is projected to grow by 25% per year to $24 billion by 2022.

“We are honoured to partner with Alexander Konotopskyi, Ajax Systems’ talented founder and their impressive management team, and look forward to contributing to the Company’s continued success in the years ahead.  We were attracted to this Company by Alexander’s vision, the stellar results achieved, their innovative product offering and success in serving customers both in Ukraine and in international markets”, said Lenna Koszarny, Horizon Capital’s Founding Partner and CEO. “This deal fits very well into our investment thesis of backing Ukraine’s new generation of visionary entrepreneurs.  These are young men and women who dare to be bold, who take an idea and put their energy, skills and passion behind it, who leverage the talents of top-rate professionals within Ukraine and develop world-class products that compete on a global stage. Horizon Capital looks forward to supporting Ajax Systems in its pursuit of excellence and quest to become a true global champion.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Horizon Capital as our partner in Ajax Systems.  Our Company has been successful in launching our products in international markets and we are confident that through our collaboration with a reputable and experienced fund as Horizon Capital, we will reach even greater heights in the future.  The partnership with Horizon Capital is truly an important milestone in achieving our aspirational targets and ambitious growth plans,” – commented Alexander Konotopskyi, Founder & CEO of Ajax Systems. “Our results achieved to date would not have been possible without the tremendous commitment to quality, high performance levels, hard work and sense of mission of our strong team, as well as the early backing of SMRK.  Ajax Systems has been growing at a tremendous rate with over 70% of revenue coming from export sales to over 75 countries, predominantly the European Union. We are blessed that the foundation of our team are world-class Ukrainian engineers and developers who take enormous pride in their work and the products that we develop.  We are committed to continue our international expansion for the benefit of our employees, customers and shareholders. We look forward to expanding Ajax Systems’ position as a global leader in the security market.”

“This deal sends a strong and clear message about investment opportunities in Ukraine, both for venture capital and private equity investors. We expect the Ajax Systems example to encourage more Ukrainian entrepreneurs to found start-ups, in order to achieve even greater success”, said Andriy Dovzhenko, the Managing Partner of SMRK.

Ajax is the most awarded wireless security system in Europe, recognized for its revolutionary design and high-quality standards with the titles of “Intruder Alarm of the Year” (Security & Fire Excellence Awards), “Best Innovative Product” (MIPS Securika), silver medal for Security & Firefighting Risks (Expoprotection), and finalist at Intersec. The Company’s entire production and R&D team are based in Ukraine.

Ajax Systems (https://ajax.systems)  is a fast-growing home security equipment company with 100% of its production in Ukraine. It was founded in 2011 by Alexander Konotopsky. Today, the Company employs over 500 people, nearly 20% focused on R&D. Products are developed and manufactured in Ukraine. Ajax Systems wireless security systems are on the cutting edge of technology and science, with 5 patents to date.  Ajax Systems product line includes over 20 devices for protection of premises and adjacent territories, fire safety, flood protection, and offering home automation and integration of video surveillance. 

Horizon Capital (www.horizoncapital.com.ua) is the leading private equity firm in Ukraine, backed by over 40 institutional investors in four funds.  Led by Founding Partners Lenna Koszarny and Jeffrey C. Neal and Senior Partner Denis Tafintsev, Horizon manages over $850 million in assets from investors with a capital base exceeding $350 billion.  Its Ukraine-focused funds have invested over $650 million in 140 companies employing over 46,000 people in Ukraine and the near region. Horizon Capital is a value-added investor, backing visionary entrepreneurs leading transformational businesses in Ukraine and the near region.

SMRK (https://smrk.vc) is a Ukrainian venture fund founded by Andriy Dovzhenko and Oleksandr Kosovan in 2013. The Fund is focused on both seed and pre-seed stages investing from USD $100,000 and up to $1 million per investment. The Fund has concluded 12 deals to date and continues to invest into promising start-ups founded in Ukraine. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Tetyana Bega

Investor Relations Director

Horizon Capital

Tel. +380 44 490 5580

e-mail: tbega@horizoncapital.com.ua

Neutral Connect Networks Acquires Connectivity Wireless Solutions Extending its Leadership in the Growing Neutral-Host Infrastructure and Services Business

BOSTON, March 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neutral Connect Networks announced today the acquisition of Connectivity Wireless Solutions by M/C Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm which is the leading equity investment firm for Neutral Connect Networks. M/C Partners acquired Connectivity Wireless Solutions and its subsidiaries, including Simplifi DAS Holdings, with a plan to consolidate the businesses to accelerate growth in the neutral-host infrastructure and in-building wireless services business.

“These businesses are natural complements to one another and create a combined entity with enhanced scale, industry-leading technical expertise, and the operational capacity to support the growth in this market,” said Brian Clark, Managing Partner at M/C Partners. “M/C Partners has a long and successful heritage in the wireless industry, and we believe the neutral-host infrastructure and in-building wireless business represents a significant growth opportunity, particularly with the planned deployments of CBRS, private LTE networks and the transition to 5G, which we are keen to participate in.”

As part of the acquisition, Stephen Bye has assumed the role of CEO of the newly combined companies. The senior leadership teams of Neutral Connect Networks and Connectivity Wireless Solutions will report directly to Bye, a wireless industry veteran with more than 27 years of experience working for wireless, cable and wireline service providers in the U.S. and abroad.

Over the coming weeks, the companies will reorganize to improve operating efficiencies to create a world-class organization. “Our team members represent the most important capability we have,” Bye said, “and we will work together to ensure we operate as efficiently as possible to deliver best-in-class solutions and services to our customers, supporting managed Wi-Fi, CBRS, private LTE networks, and the evolution to 5G and beyond.”

During the transition, the companies will remain focused on serving customers, which is their highest priority. “The combination of Neutral Connect Networks and Connectivity Wireless Solutions will enable us to pursue an acceleration of growth in the neutral-host infrastructure and in-building wireless services business, supporting wireless service providers, cable companies, venue owners, property developers and enterprise customers,” said Bye. “Our core strengths of integrity, reliability, technology leadership, operational excellence and time-to-market allow us to deliver enhanced value to all of our customers and their end customers.”

About Neutral Connect Networks: A Leading Provider of Neutral-Host Wireless Networks
Founded in 2016 and based in Boynton Beach, Florida, Neutral Connect Networks is a leading provider of wireless communications networks (including in-building wireless, managed Wi-Fi and small cells) used by major service providers to improve the quality of coverage with increased throughput and capacity in buildings, at sports and entertainment venues, in parks, transportation hubs, and business shopping districts around the U.S. For more information, visit www.neutralconnect.com.

About Connectivity Wireless Solutions: A Leading In-Building Wireless Systems Integrator
Connectivity Wireless Solutions, based in Duluth, Georgia, was founded in 2008 by Greg Jacobs, Blake Maffei and Clayt Mason with a mission to simplify the complexities of designing, installing, and maintaining in-building wireless distributed antenna systems. Over the course of 10 years, Connectivity Wireless Solutions has successfully engineered and deployed more than 2,700 in-building wireless networks which provide more than 500 million square feet of coverage across the U.S. The company remains committed to its original vision: to make world-class, high-quality in-building wireless coverage a more achievable reality for its customers. As part of the leadership transition, Greg Jacobs will join the board of the consolidated company. For more information, visit www.connectivitywireless.com.   

About M/C Partners
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, M/C Partners is a private equity firm focused exclusively on the communications, information technology services and media sectors. The firm has invested over $2.2 billion of capital into nearly 100 companies, generally investing in companies with enterprise values of $25 million to $250 million. Related current and prior investments include Cavalier Telephone, Ensono, Everstream, Fusepoint, Denovo, ICG Communications, Involta, Lightower, MetroPCS, NuVox, Thrive Networks and Zayo Group. The firm has strong institutional backing from the nation's leading pension funds and endowments as well as a long track record of success. For more information, visit www.mcpartners.com.

MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT:
Brittanie Boyd
1-888-591-9418 x 124
bboyd@connectivitywireless.com

VOLIA, the first in Ukraine to launch FOXNOW online cinema for its subscribers

WILL together with FOX NETWORKS GROUP offered the company's subscribers a new service - the FOXNOW library . Subscribers can now watch the best FOX and FOX LIFE movies and series at anytime, anywhere, in HD quality, across multiple mobile devices. The service is also available in the Will Mobile TV application.

FOXNOW is a On-Demand Video (VoD) directory and a true cinematic discovery that will transform their views on television, save time, money, provide choice and comfortable viewing conditions, making it a real pleasure for quality content connoisseurs.

The catalog consists of the most popular series, which are available on FOX and FOX LIFE channels, and also gives access to all previous seasons of top projects on these channels. Viewers will be able to see all the seasons of such cult shows as "Walking Dead", "Legion", "Atlanta", "Outcast", "Da Vinci Demons", "Secret Power", "Pines", "Under the Alien Flag", 11.22.63 , "Rebirth", "Gotham" and many others.

“The introduction of FOXNOW's innovative service gives our online services subscribers access to the world's best premieres simultaneously with the world, as well as the ability to watch TV shows, movies and shows in both original and translation. I am glad that we were the first in Ukraine to realize this project in accordance with the world standards of quality, genre diversity and licensing, which was made possible by a long-standing partnership with FOX NETWORKS GROUP - the world leader in the production of television and cinema products ”, - says Victoria Tsomaya, Director on the marketing of WILL.

“With the launch of FOXNOW's online service, our company is doing even more to make Ukrainian viewers feel an integral part of the global television audience. We are the first to offer WILL subscribers the best world series at a convenient time and in the best quality, which are now also available anywhere with the WILL TV mobile application, ”emphasizes Rodion Printsevsky, General Manager of FOX NETWORKS GROUP in Northeast Europe.

FOXNOW is regularly updated. Already, WILL subscribers have the opportunity to dive into the world of the adventures of a major zombie event, which has garnered millions of fans around the world and over 16 prestigious awards in 9 years. Fresh and all previous seasons of the post-apocalyptic Walking Dead series are available in the FOX NOW section.

The highlight of the new will for the Will subscribers will be the final season of the series Game of Thrones, which begins on April 15 at 22.00 on FOX. New episodes of all series will appear in the FOXNOW catalog the day after the premiere on the channel and will be available to viewers one month to one year after the broadcast. Do not miss the premiere of the year in WILLOW TV!

Service FOXNOW will be provided to subscribers enhanced service package Ott VOLIA *. 

* for packages: Power Time, Turbo HD, Premium HD https://volia.com/eng/bundle/packages/ ; Internet everywhere + Max TV https://volia.com/eng/volia-lifecell/ ; Strike https://volia.com/eng/tv/ott-packages/ ; Mobile Optimal https://volia.com/eng/tv/mobile-packages/

Warburg Pincus Invests US$100 Million in Chinese B2B e-Commerce Platform Yijiupi

Beijing, March 18, 2019 –Yijiupi, China’s leading mobile on-demand B2B platform in FMCG sector, has completed a Series D+ financing from an affiliate of Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The fund raised will be used on Yijiupi’s national network expansion, new retail initiatives and R&D.

Founded in 2014, Yijiupi is committed to digitizing and improving supply chain efficiency for China’s FMCG (Fast-moving consumer goods) market. Within five years, it has evolved into a leading B2B mobile digitized platform that covers all major FMCG product categories with national network across the industry value chain. In 2018, Yijiupi achieved a gross merchandise value of about US$2.0 billion, and has self-operated supply chain and fulfillment capabilities in more than 130 cities in China, one of the largest distribution networks in China’s FMCG B2B market. The Company has developed a broad suite of digitized solutions, including a mobile-based e-commerce platform, supply chain and logistics platform, retail chain management platform, and supply chain financing solutions etc.

Mr. Chaocheng Wang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Yijiupi said, “Yijiupi will make significant breakthroughs across industry value chain in 2019. While we continue to grow our self-operated gross merchandise value at triple digit, our financing, cloud warehousing, chain stores and C2M businesses will create new growth and profit opportunities, enabled by our strong technology and supply chain capabilities.”

Mr. Jericho Zhang, Managing Director of Warburg Pincus commented, “We are very optimistic about the development of Industrial Internet in China. Despite the distinct features of different industry verticals and market participants, digitization has significantly improved the efficiency of supply chain. Warburg Pincus will continue to identify and support leading Industrial Internet platforms to consolidate various large but fragmented sectors.”

“We are very impressed by the sober-minded and visionary core management team, who have built up strong competitive moats around the business with solid executions. Yijiupi is not just collecting and sharing information for any specific segment, but rather creating value across the industry value chain with digitalized tools and operating excellence. Yijiupi is not only a trading platform, but rather an empowerment platform for all business partners,” he added.

Yijiupi has built an infrastructure of mobile and digital solutions, and an extensive national distribution and fulfillment network. On top of these, leveraging the integration of supply chain and financing resources, it has successfully identified business models that create values for all market participants, from brands, distributors, retailers to consumers.

Jericho Zhang emphasized that there are great potentials in China’s FMCG industry for further consolidation, as the $0.6 trillion market is still highly fragmented, dominated by traditional channels. “While we’ve already seen multiple B2B companies worth tens of billions of US dollars in the US where the FMCG market is highly modernized, we expect large-scale B2B leaders to emerge in China, where the channels are still dominated by more than 6 million small retailers,” he explained.

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Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The firm has more than $43 billion in private equity assets under management. The firm’s active portfolio of more than 180 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 17 private equity funds, which have invested more than $73 billion in over 855 companies in more than 40 countries.

Since entering the Chinese market in 1994, Warburg Pincus has invested over $12 billion in over 100 companies in China. The firm has a strong record in investing and supporting the growth of many leading consumer, technology, retail and B2B companies such as China Kidswant, Gome, Intime, Leyou, New Carzone, Souche and Batulu. For more information on Warburg Pincus, please visit www.warburgpincus.com.

INTELLIGENT WIFI TO REVOLUTIONIZE IN-HOME CONNECTIVITY

Virgin Media has today announced a series of new WiFi updates that will give millions of its customers the UK’s fastest widely available broadband speeds in more areas of their home.

The game-changing technology was developed by Liberty Global and has already been rolled out to all Virgin Media customers with a Hub 3 router, free of charge. It is a smart, cloud-based, adaptive system that is continuously evolving and ingeniously tackles many of the problems that can hold people back from getting the best performance from their WiFi.

With Intelligent WiFi, Virgin Media customers can feel real benefits to their wireless connectivity with minimal effort.  Extensive testing has seen speeds improving by up to three times to many devices without the aid of a booster, unlike many other broadband providers.

This means that regardless of the type of property lived in – and the number of people living in it – customers can make the most of their ultrafast connectivity by streaming 4K programming, gaming online or simply browsing the net, all at the same time across multiple devices.

Richard Sinclair MBE, Executive Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media, said: “Delivering ultrafast broadband to help make Britain faster is what we do best at Virgin Media, but making sure this translates into reliable in-home connectivity is just as important. Intelligent WiFi will allow our customers to make the most of their broadband while also helping to easily overcome any connectivity conundrums around the home. With families using more devices than ever before, it’s vital they can all be online whenever needed. Whether it’s streaming UHD movies on Netflix, playing the latest games online or video conferencing, Intelligent WiFi has your back.”

Connect App

The new Connect app will be the central control panel for all intelligent WiFi features.

Through the app customers can test the strength of their WiFi from room-to-room, which will also detect any blackspots in the home; manage devices that are connected to a home network; pause devices and access in-app customer support to help resolve any problems.

WiFi Boosters

In the rare instance that a WiFi booster is required to remove connectivity blackspots in the home, these can be ordered directly through the Connect app with Full House and VIP customers able to get these free of charge.

Intelligent WiFi

Intelligent WiFi on the Hub 3 router is a smart system that adapts to the needs of the home and the devices that are connected to WiFi. It is made up of many features that work side-by-side to ensure that the best WiFi performance is being delivered. These include:

• Channel optimisation: All WiFi operates over a number of channels. Channel Optimisation helps ensure connected devices and gadgets are performing as best as they can. As a result of Intelligent WiFi, testing has shown that 18% of homes should experience less WiFi interference thanks to more than 300,000 optimisations per day ensuring that devices are being switched to less crowded WiFi channels.

• Band Steering: This is the process which prompts gadgets and devices to seamlessly switch between a 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency to optimise performance. With band steering on the Hub 3, testing showed that gadgets connecting to the 5GHz frequency increased by 25%, giving these devices greater speeds.

• Airtime Fairness: This helps to share out WiFi evenly across connected devices. Some older devices can’t keep up with ultrafast broadband speeds which can impact WiFi performance in the home. Intelligent WiFi will improve the share of WiFi to devices throughout the home.

With all of the above implemented as part of Intelligent WiFi, third party testing showed that broadband speeds registered on devices significantly increased in rooms throughout the home – up to three times faster.

TDS nominated Best Internet Provider in Southern Utah

TDS is thrilled to have been nominated Best Internet Provider in Southern Utah in 2019, and we would appreciate your vote.

Voting for Best Internet Provider takes less than a minute and can be found at: www.voteBOSU.com/TDS

TDS now offers internet speed packages from 100Mbps to 600Mbps in Southern Utah. After making significant investments in our Utah network, TDS offers a variety of high-speed internet plans for all types of customers and households, catering to homes with extreme online demands with multiple users and multiple devices connected simultaneously. Customers can learn more about our plans at HelloTDS.com/600 or calling 1-855-771-3961.

For the Best of Southern Utah nearly 1,400 businesses were nominated and of those nominations, 924 companies officially made it on the ballot to compete.

Voting began Feb. 25 and will remain open until March 15 at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced May 20 both online and in a winners publication to be distributed around Southern Utah.

Businesses are listed under eight main categories and 190 subcategories and you can vote at BestofSouthernUtah.com. The main categories are:

• Eat and drink.

• Health and beauty.

• Home and garden.

• Motors.

• Professional services (TDS category)

• Schools.

• Shopping.

• Things to do.

Each category has a minimum of four qualified businesses for voters to choose. Voters are allowed to vote for one business per category, per day. Voting is free and can be done at: www.voteBOSU.com/TDS