8 ▁million ▁people , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁largest ▁provider ▁of ▁cable ▁Internet ▁access ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Its ▁operations , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁sister ▁company ▁Grande ▁Communic ations , ▁are ▁handled ▁under ▁affili ate ▁Patri ot ▁Media ▁Cons ult ing . ▁ ▁R CN ▁serves ▁in ▁or ▁around ▁the ▁following ▁locations : ▁All ent own , ▁Pennsylvania ; ▁Boston , ▁Massachusetts ; ▁Chicago , ▁Illinois ▁( limited ▁coverage ); ▁Washington , ▁D . C .; ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁New ▁York ; ▁and ▁Philadelphia , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁R CN ▁( Res ident ial ▁Communic ations ▁Network ) ▁was ▁originally ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁by ▁developer ▁David ▁McC ourt ▁and ▁Peter ▁K iew it ▁S ons ' ▁Inc . ▁K iew it ▁also ▁owned ▁M FS , ▁a ▁Compet itive ▁Access ▁Pro vider ▁( C AP ). ▁In ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁moves , ▁R CN ▁purchased ▁C - TE C , ▁the ▁parent ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁Commonwealth ▁Tele phone , ▁while ▁M FS ▁sp un ▁off ▁its ▁small ▁resident ial ▁tele phone ▁operations ▁to ▁R CN . ▁M FS ▁was ▁later ▁purchased ▁by ▁World com . ▁R CN / C - TE C ▁became ▁a ▁compet itive ▁local ▁exchange ▁car rier ▁( C LE C ) ▁when ▁the ▁Tele com ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁passed . ▁ ▁R CN ▁then ▁began ▁its ▁growth ▁as ▁a ▁cable ▁TV ▁over builder , ▁construct ing ▁compet itor ▁cable ▁systems ▁in ▁mark