Two-time Olympic champion fencer Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.) has been selected to lead the 529-member 2012 U.S. Olympic Team into Friday’s (July 27) Opening Ceremony as flag bearer, as announced by the United States Olympic Committee. Zagunis was chosen by a vote of fellow members of Team USA.

“I’m extremely humbled by this incredible privilege,” said Zagunis. “As an athlete, I can’t imagine a higher honor than to lead Team USA into the Olympic Games, which are the pinnacle of sport and a platform for world peace. I am tremendously proud to represent my sport, our team and, most importantly, the United States of America.”

“I’d like to congratulate Mariel on this tremendous honor,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “It’s especially fitting in the year of the 40th anniversary of Title IX, when Team USA for the first time in history has more women than men, that Mariel receive the extraordinary honor that is carrying our nation’s flag into this celebration of humanity.”

Since becoming the first U.S. fencer to win gold at an Olympic Games in a hundred years with her podium finish in 2004, Zagunis has been virtually unstoppable. The top-ranked women’s saber fencer in the world, Zagunis won gold as a 19-year-old at the Athens Games in 2004, and went on to defend her title in Beijing before taking the individual world championship titles in 2009 and 2010. During the 2011 competition schedule, she added seven individual international medals, including silver at the world championships and gold at the Pan American Games. In 2012, she has added eight international medals.

Zagunis is the third fencing athlete to serve as flag bearer. Norman Armitage carried the flag in both 1952 and 1956, and Janice Lee Romary held the honor in 1968. Zagunis will compete in the individual sabre competition on Aug. 1. 

Press Release Obtained via USOC Communications

Several hundred thousand households and businesses targeted for new Frontier Broadband Service

Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: FTR), the largest provider of communications services focused on rural America, announced today it has signed a wholesale agreement with Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services.  

Frontier will distribute satellite-based broadband services, branded Frontier Broadband, that will deliver dramatically increased speed and capacity to several hundred thousand households and small businesses within markets previously unserved or underserved by all broadband providers, including cable.  

Frontier Broadband products are owned and managed  by Frontier Communications and supported by highly-trained, 100 percent U.S.-based local installation, customer service and support teams. According to Melinda White, executive vice president of revenue development for Frontier, “We are very excited to offer a new, high-performance broadband Internet service. This is another example of Frontier’s unwavering commitment to making broadband access ubiquitous – especially in rural America.  We chose Hughes because it shares that vision and has the proven ability to bring high-quality technology to customers around the world.”

Frontier Broadband will leverage the Hughes EchoStar XVII Satellite with JUPITER™ High-Throughput Technology that was successfully launched on July 5, 2012, and which will enable HughesNet Gen4 satellite Internet services for Frontier Broadband customers. HughesNet Gen4 offers dramatically increased performance and capacity, including support for high-bandwidth applications such as streaming video and music.

“We are excited to work with Frontier Communications to deliver high-speed Internet access to households in rural America that have traditionally been unserved or underserved,” said Mike Cook, senior vice president, North American Division, Hughes. “HughesNet Gen4 will dramatically improve performance for high-bandwidth multimedia applications and accelerate web browsing, delivering a media-rich world like never before.”

To learn more information about Frontier Broadband and to sign-up for this new service, Frontier customers may call 877-451-1801.

Frontier Offers SureWest Business Customers a Hassle-Free Welcome

Switch Service to a Proven Local Provider

On July 2^nd SureWest announced it was sold to an Illinois company, making Frontier Communications, headquartered in Elk Grove, the only local telecommunications provider with historic regional and local ties to the community. Recently honored as an “Exceptional Enterprise” by the City of Elk Grove, Frontier was part of the “Best in Business Award” program reserved for larger businesses that create jobs, give back to the community and embrace sustainable business practices. The company’sTechLab is based in Elk Grove, and like the rest of the company, is focused on hiring military veterans and reservists.

As part of SureWest’s sale agreement, for the next 60 days the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is requiring it, among many other conditions, to specifically waive all early termination fees associated with SureWest’s business accounts.

Frontier wants business customers to take full advantage of this opportunity to learn more about its services, including consulting assistance, implementation support and full turn-key telecommunications solutions. The company is ready and willing to make the transition to Frontier worry-free from cost and implementation perspectives.

Guy Gertsch, Regional Sales Manager for Frontier, states, “Frontier is committed to providing local businesses with the highest-quality services – Metro Ethernet, super-fast broadband and Wi-Fi, VoIP, customer premise equipment and more. In addition to enterprise-grade services, we offer local Premium Tech Support and smart financing alternatives – so customers can work with a single local company to address all or any portion of their telecommunications needs.”

To learn more about Frontier’s services, please visit the Frontier Business Solutions Center and contact Guy Gertsch at (916) 833-9337, guy.gertsch@ftr.com or Michelle Silva-Galya at (916) 691-5677, michelle.silva-galya@ftr.com to arrange for an on-site visit by Frontier. We can help your business thrive!