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<br />EXHIBIT A - Continued <br /> <br />Renewal Proposal - Investment for the Future <br /> <br />Meredith Cable proposes to meet the needs of the North Suburbs with this investment plan for the <br />future which will thoroughly revitalize and modernize the system. This plan includes a franchise <br />commitment to develop the system to 750 MHZ capacity. This plan will result in higher quality <br />signals, expanded channel capacity and the opportunity to launch new programming services. In <br />addition, Meredith Cable proposes to upgrade the existing Institutional Network and incorporate <br />fiber into the system to facilitate future expansion of the Institutional Network. Meredith Cable <br />also proposes a renewal of our commitment to support of local access programming and the <br />establishment of capability to enable the development of future high speed data transmission <br />services and other future services. This proposal represents an aggressive effort to respond to <br />identified community needs and interests, taking into account the cost of meeting those needs and <br />interests over the requested fifteen (15) year renewal time rrame. The specifics of the proposal <br />are set forth below: <br /> <br />A. SUBSCRIBER SYSTEM UPGRADE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION <br /> <br />Meredith Cable will commit in a renewal franchise that the subscriber system serving the North <br />Suburbs will be enhanced rrom the current 450 MHZ, 65 channel system to a state-of-the-art 750 <br />MHZ system offering dramatically more channel capacity, higher signal quality, more reliability <br />and more features as set forth below: <br /> <br />· A - 1. The subscriber network will be 750 MHZ capacity. Meredith plans to initially <br />program 81 downstream channels upon activation - with phased activation launches as <br />nodes are completed. This leaves an additional 200 MHZ capacity available for future <br />activation of additional video channels, digital services, and other services as future <br />marketplace needs dictate. In addition, the system will be designed with the capability to <br />transmit return signals upstream at 5 - 40 MHZ in the future as commercial need dictates <br />and with mutually acceptable rranchise language that establishes a mechanism for <br />discussions regarding activation of the return. <br /> <br />· A - 2. Hybrid fiber-coaxial architecture will be deployed. <br /> <br />· A - 3. Initially, the system will be developed with approximately Forty (40) pockets which <br />are called "nodes", each connected by optical fiber and serving approximately Two <br />Thousand (2000) homes with a minimum 16 fiber count. The fiber optic nodes will be <br />designed to be capable of migrating to five hundred (500) home nodes with a minimum 4 <br />fiber count as marketplace need dictates. <br /> <br />· A - 4. All power supplies will be equipped with standby power capability which, at a <br />minimum, will be initially activated at the node locations. <br /> <br />· A - 5. In.order to better assure reliability and system maintenance, the system will <br />