Catch it Snowing in Kissimmee this Weekend via Live Webcast

KISSIMMEE, Fla., December 7, 4:00 pm – Internet users worldwide will be able to watch snow fall in Florida this weekend as part of a live event webcast of Kissimmee‘s 2001 Holiday Extravaganza on Saturday, December 8.

Visitors to a special web site –- http://holiday.kua.net –- will be able to watch children play in 20 tons of real snow, using wireless video streaming equipment provided by KUA.net, the Internet division of Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA). The web site will feature continuous high- and low-bandwith live images from the festival, a directional map to the event, holiday jokes, and an online chat forum where visitors to the festival can chat with folks at home.

“We’ve seen tremendous success with our recent webcasts of Viva Osceola and the Osceola Art Festival,” said Chris Gent, KUA’s manager of corporate communications. “3,487 visitors participated in our last webcast… this weekend’s holiday festivities will probably draw even more online visitors.”

In addition, KUA.net will offer a complimentary cyber café for those who wish to surf the World Wide Web or check personal e-mail while attending the festival. The café will use KUA.net’s state-of-the-art wireless network that delivers data at 11 Mbps (11 million bits per second) –- 200 times faster than a standard 56k dial-up connection!

The Holiday Extravaganza will run from 12:00 noon – 9:00 pm at Kissimmee‘s Lakefront Park. The event features amusement rides, live entertainment, a lighted holiday parade at 6:00 pm, and fireworks show at 8:30 pm.

KUA is Florida‘s 7th largest community-owned utility serving 53,000 electric, water and Internet customers in four Central Florida counties. KUA is celebrating its 100th year of serving the community in 2001.

Contact: Chris Gent, Manager of Corporate Communications
(407) 933-7777 ext. 1116
cgent@kua.com