DIRECTV to Offer Broadband, VoIP Services

EL SEGUNDO/GERMANTOWN, August 15: In an effort to compete
against cable operators offering triple-play packages, satellite platform
DIRECTV has inked a deal with the CURRENT Group to offer its subscribers
broadband and VoIP telephone services by the end of this year or early next.

DIRECTV will deliver CURRENT’s BPL (Broadband Over
Powerline) high-speed Internet service, which promises faster upload speeds as
compared with typical cable modems. The service will initially be available in
the Dallas/Fort Worth area, covering about 1.8 million homes where the BPL
network is available. The agreement provides DIRECTV the ability to add other
geographic markets as CURRENT builds out its network.

CURRENT's investors include, among others, Earthlink,
Google, Goldman, Sachs & Co., GE, Hearst Corporation and Liberty Associated
Partners, an investment partnership between Liberty Media Corporation and the
Berkman family.