CBS Lights Up Midtown Manhattan With Free Wireless Internet Access

CBS Outdoor Billboards and Displays Wired To Create a Massive, Free Wi-Fi

HotZone Covering Times Square to Central Park South

"CBS Mobile Zone" Welcome Page Showcases "Hyperlocal" Information, CBS

Local and National News, Sports and Entertainment Content

Local Businesses Offered Free Routers to Extend Wireless Network Indoors

Citi and Salesgenie.com(TM) Sign On As Sponsors

    NEW YORK, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CBS Corporation announced
 today that it will "light up" midtown Manhattan with the creation of the
 "CBS Mobile Zone," a wireless high-speed network enabling New Yorkers with
 Wi-Fi-enabled cell phones, laptops or other devices to access the Internet
 for free, and make voice over internet (VOI) calls. The Wi-Fi HotZone,
 which is available today in certain areas, will be fully operational on by
 month's end with a footprint of more than 20 city blocks from Times Square
 to Central Park South and from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue. This initiative is
 part of a 6-month pilot program with the Metropolitan Transportation
 Authority and New York City Transit to test the potential communications
 capabilities of Wi-Fi technology.
     New Yorkers who access the "CBS Mobile Zone," will be greeted by an
 ad-supported homepage that includes hyperlocal content such as breaking
 local and national news, sports highlights, weather reports, music
 discovery, wallpapers, ringtones, maps, a social network and the ability to
 search for nearby restaurants, shops and entertainment complete with
 geographically- targeted community reviews. Citi and Salesgenie.com(TM)
 have signed on to be early sponsors of the Wi-Fi HotZone.
     "We are pleased to deliver what may be the most advanced wireless and
 pre-WiMax, outdoor offering of it's kind in the U.S.," said Cyriac Roeding,
 Executive Vice President, CBS Mobile. "Whether it's surfing the web on your
 laptop from a park bench, receiving breaking news, sports scores, locating
 the closest recommended pizza shop or calling your friend for free via your
 Wi-Fi-enabled phone, we believe we're offering something helpful to all New
 Yorkers. Thanks to the extraordinary capabilities of our partners the whole
 project took less than six months to complete and was highly cost
 effective."
     "This is another example of how the assets of CBS Outdoor are enhanced
 by new technologies," said Wally Kelly, Chairman and CEO of CBS Outdoor.
 "What better way to show we are committed to turning our Outdoor assets
 into next-generation interactive platforms than providing free Wi-Fi
 service in what is arguably the busiest stretch of real estate in the
 world. This offering will allow us to evaluate the prospect of applying
 Wi-Fi capabilities across our Outdoor properties globally."
     The "CBS Mobile Zone," will be powered by CBS Outdoor billboards and
 MTA New York City Transit-owned urban panels located above select subway
 station entrances that have been fitted with transmitters in a joint
 initiative between CBS Interactive and CBS Outdoor. In addition, many local
 businesses will be offered free routers allowing companies and patrons to
 tap into the "CBS Mobile Zone" from indoors. In launching this
 first-of-its-kind Wi-Fi network, CBS partnered with the MTA New York City
 Transit and several next- generation companies including Tropos, BIG, Fon,
 Ning, Goowy, Veoh, Yelp, 1020, Aptilo and Can-Do Entertainment, with more
 to be added throughout the duration of the midtown offering. The "CBS
 Mobile Zone" also provides interactive advertising opportunities that can
 be localized down to the individual billboard.
     About CBS Corporation
     CBS Corporation ( CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company with
 constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast
 industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of
 the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations,
 combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which
 provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves
 audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets.
 It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment,
 including broadcast television (CBS and The CW - a joint venture between
 CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime
 and CSTV Networks), local television (CBS Television Stations), television
 production and syndication (CBS Paramount Network Television and CBS
 Television Distribution), radio (CBS RADIO), advertising on out-of-home
 media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS
 Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS
 Consumer Products) and video/ DVD (CBS Home Entertainment). For more
 information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.
 
 

SOURCE CBS Corporation