Thursday, December 20, 2007

Firth Basketball

Firth against Shelly

DigitalBridge Communications and Eastern Idaho Sports Network Launch Local Sports Webcasts Via WiMAX











ASHBURN, Va. (Map) - ASHBURN, Va., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- DigitalBridge Communications Corp., the leading WiMAX service provider in the Intermountain West, is proud to announce a partnership with Eastern Idaho Sports Network to enable exclusive live Web coverage of high school sports in Eastern Idaho.
Fans from Rexburg, Idaho, can now enjoy football, basketball, and other games from anywhere in the world. They simply turn on their computer, point their Web browser to http://www.eisnlive.com/ and watch the action.
Eastern Idaho Sports Network (EISN) uses its BridgeMAXX Internet to set up a broadband connection where ever the action is. The BridgeMAXX service, provided by DigitalBridge Communications (DBC), uses WiMAX technology that allows Web access anywhere in Rexburg. "We can broadcast football right from the field, basketball from courtside, even fifth grade soccer matches, pretty much any game in Rexburg," said EISN founder Bruce Herker. "It was impossible to have a broadband connection at many of these locations before we had BridgeMAXX. The response has been amazing. Fans love it."
Herker reports that games are being viewed from all over the world, with fans connecting from active military duty stations in Afghanistan and Turkey, and from all over the United States and Canada. "Parents travelling for work, extended family and alumni of the schools are all watching," said Herker. "It's a way to stay connected to the community, no matter where life takes you. We're averaging about 500 viewers per game now, and that number is growing with every webcast."
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Because the BridgeMAXX service is wireless, EISN is able to broadcast games from any location within Rexburg. "It simply wasn't possible to cover so many sports before," according to Herker. For example, before the DBC service was available, there was no affordable way to get a broadband connection at the high school football field. This year, it was possible. "It is absolutely cool!" said Herker.
"I am really grateful that EISN has been able to webcast the games this year," reports EISN user George Webb of Mesa, Arizona. "I tell my friends that I can watch my grandsons play live in Idaho, but I don't think that they believe me!"
"We're delighted to be able to work with Bruce and everyone at EISN to make these webcasts possible," said Kelley Dunne, CEO of DigitalBridge Communications. "It is great to use cutting edge technology to enrich the community. This is the type of application that we knew our BridgeMAXX service would enable in Rexburg."
EISN plans to webcast eight Madison High School girls and boys basketball games from Rexburg over the next few weeks. As the BridgeMAXX service area expands to include Pocatello and Idaho Falls over the coming weeks, DBC and EISN will expand their partnership to cover more local sports events in those cities as well.
Fans are not charged to view the games, said Herker, who sells advertisements on the EISN Web site to support the service.
The BridgeMAXX service is currently available in Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho; Missoula, Montana; and Washington and Vincennes, Indiana.
Additional questions can be directed to Stephanie Soscia, DigitalBridge Communications at stephanie.soscia@dbcmail.com or (703) 723-7091 and to Bruce Herker, EISN, at bruceherker@eisnlive.com, 208-356-3272.
About DigitalBridge Communications Corp.
DigitalBridge Communications Corp. ("DBC") is a telecommunications service provider focused on using new technology, including WiMAX, to deliver broadband services to underserved communities nationwide. The company was founded in late 2005. For more information about DBC, please visit http://www.digitalbridgecommunications.com/.
About Eastern Idaho Sports Network
Eastern Idaho Sports Network ("EISN") broadcasts live and recorded local high school sports from communities throughout Eastern Idaho, including Firth, Fremont, Madison, Rigby, and Shelley, with plans to expand to. Founded in August 2006, EISN has broadcast hundreds of games over the World Wide Web. For more information about EISN, please visit http://www.eisnlive.com/.