Time Warner Cable is marking the 10th anniversary of the commercial launch of its RoadRunner high-speed data service. RoadRunner was tested in 1995 in Elmira, N.Y., officially launched on September 10, 1996 in Akron, Ohio, and propagated throughout the rest of TWC’s systems over the next two years.
Time Warner Cable will celebrate through the next month with an online yearbook for customers and a sweepstakes (sweepstakes info here).
What was to become RoadRunner was first conceived on January 25, 1995, when Carl Rossetti, Jim Chiddix, Mario Vecchi and Tim Evard, met for dinner in Evergreen, Colo. The end result of that meeting was outlined on one piece of paper (which someone actually remembered to save for posterity).
Since 1996, RoadRunner has grown into an award-winning broadband service used by about 5.4 million people. Download speeds have grown from approximately 1-1.5 Mbps to 5-10 Mbps, varying by system. Features now include remote access, multiple e-mail accounts, free broadband content, security software, parental controls, instant messaging, video mail, PhotoShow Deluxe, personal Web space and optional wireless service.