Document:

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EXHIBIT 10.9

                                PAID TIME OFF AND
                       FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT POLICY

                           RHYTHMS NETCONNECTIONS INC.

PAID TIME OFF ("PTO") POLICY

Each EMPLOYEE of the COMPANY shall be entitled to paid time off ("PTO") from
work (1) to use to take time for himself or herself each year, (2) as personal
time for rest, relaxation or to pursue special interests, (3) for the Employee's
own illness or to care for an ill family member, (4) for Family and Medical
Leave Act ("FMLA") reasons and/or (5) for medical, legal or other personal
business appointments that can only be scheduled during regular business hours
of the Company.

Each FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE and each PART-TIME EMPLOYEE shall accrue PTO from the
date of such Employee's date of hire through and including the date of
termination of such Employee's EMPLOYMENT with the Company.

Full-Time Employees shall accrue PTO as follows

<Table>
<Caption>
    Months of
Employment with the        Monthly                Yearly              Maximum Accrual
     Company             Accrual Rate          Accrual Rate                Amount
-------------------      ------------          ------------           ---------------
<S>                      <C>                 <C>                     <C>
0 - 36 months             10 hours           120 hours/15 days       160 hours/20 days

36 or more months         12 hours           144 hours/18 days       192 hours/24 days
</Table>

Part-Time Employees shall accrue PTO on the same basis as Full-Time Employees,
prorated each month based on the average number of daily hours worked per day
compared to an eight (8) hour day.

All Employees, regardless of level or job classification, shall be required to
submit PTO requests on the appropriate PTO form, which is available on the
Company's HR Intranet web site at "HTTP://INTRA.DEN.RHYTHMS.NET/THEBEAT/HR/".
Requests for PTO shall require the approval of the Employee's MANAGER and should
be scheduled as far in advance as possible, except in the case of unanticipated
absence due to such things as illness, injury or bereavement leave. Managers
will make every reasonable effort to grant requests for PTO, provided the
requested PTO does not unreasonably interfere with the Company's day-to-day
operations. Conflicting requests for PTO will be considered on a first come
first serve, case-by-case, basis.
<Page>

PTO may be taken as it accrues; provided, however, that PTO can only be taken in
whole hour increments, and the minimum PTO that can be taken at any one time
cannot be less than two (2) hours.

An Employee shall continue to accrue PTO while on an approved leave of absence
of thirty (30) days or less. In the case of an approved leave of absence of
longer than thirty (30) days, PTO shall only accrue for the first thirty (30)
days, with the exception of FMLA Leave (see the Company's FMLA Policy) and as
otherwise required by applicable law.

An Employee shall be entitled to accrue PTO until such time as the aggregate
amount of accrued PTO reaches the MAXIMUM ACCRUAL AMOUNT. Once the Maximum
Accrual Amount is reached, further PTO accrual will cease until an Employee uses
accrued PTO hours equal to the amount accruable during one (1) month at the
Employee's current rate of PTO accrual. Exceptions to this PTO accrual
limitation may be made in unusual circumstances and will be considered by
Managers on a case-by-case, nondiscriminatory basis.

Employees may request unpaid time off ("UPTO"). UPTO will not be granted in
cases where PTO hours exist to cover the requested UPTO. All requests for UPTO,
while an Employee has accrued and unused PTO, will be considered a request for
PTO. Except as otherwise provided in the Company's FMLA Policy, UPTO (at a time
when an Employee has no accrued and unused PTO) will only be granted in cases
where an emergency exists and is approved by the Employee's Manager, or when
agreed to by the Employee's Manager prior to the Employee's date of hire.

PTO under this PTO Policy and FMLA Leave under the Company's FMLA Policy run
concurrently. This PTO Policy is intended to be read along with, and whenever
possible in a manner consistent with, the Company's FMLA Policy. In the event of
a conflict between the terms of this PTO Policy and the terms of the Company's
FMLA Policy, the terms of the FMLA Policy shall govern.

An Employee shall be entitled to be paid for all accrued and unpaid PTO upon
termination of the Employee's Employment with the Company in accordance with the
Company's Severance Policy.

Employees should refer to the Company's Employee Policy Manual located on the
Company's HR Intranet web site for further details regarding the PTO Policy
practices and procedures.

FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT ("FMLA") POLICY

The Company recognizes that the arrival of a new child, a serious health
condition of a family member or an Employee's serious health condition may
warrant an extended period of time away from work. This FMLA Policy is intended
to comply with, and will be administered in accordance with, the FMLA, although
Employees in some states may have additional rights under state or local family
and medical leave laws, with which the Company will comply.
<Page>

Employees who have been employed with the Company for at least twelve (12)
months and have worked at least one thousand two hundred fifty (1,250) hours
during the twelve (12) months preceding the date leave will begin will be
eligible to take up to twelve (12) weeks UPTO (including intermittent or
reduced-schedule UPTO where appropriate) ("FMLA LEAVE") for the following
reasons:

     o    Birth or care of the Employee's child during the first twelve (12)
          months following birth.

     o    Placement of a child with the Employee for adoption or for
          state-approved foster care or care of the child during the first
          twelve (12) months after placement.

     o    Care of the Employee's spouse, child or parent who has a serious
          health condition.

     o    Employee's own serious health condition (including work-related
          injury), which prevents Employee from performing his/her job.

All Employees, regardless of level or job classification, shall be required to
submit FMLA requests on the appropriate FMLA form, which is available on the
Company's HR Intranet web site at "HTTP://INTRA.DEN.RHYTHMS.NET/THEBEAT/HR/". An
Employee who is requesting FMLA Leave must provide notice and certification of
the need for such FMLA Leave to the Human Resources Department at least five (5)
Business Days in advance of the start date of such FMLA Leave, except in
extraordinary or emergency situations, in which case the Employee must provide
timely notice and certification based on the nature of the emergency. Failure to
deliver such notice and certification in a timely manner may result in the
denial of rights and privileges under this FMLA Policy, including denial of the
request for such FMLA Leave or denial of reinstatement following such FMLA
Leave. The Employee may be required to provide additional notice and
certifications during FMLA Leave, and an Employee who is returning from FMLA
Leave due to a serious health condition must provide the Human Resources
Department with a fitness-for-duty report before returning to work.

PTO under the PTO Policy and FMLA Leave under this FMLA Policy run concurrently.
This FMLA Policy is intended to be read along, and whenever possible in a manner
consistent, with the Company's Severance Policy. In the event of a conflict
between the terms of this FMLA Policy and the terms of the Company's Severance
Policy, the terms of this FMLA Policy shall govern.

Employees should refer to the Company's Employee Policy Manual located on the
Company's HR Intranet web site for further details regarding the FMLA Policy
practices and procedures.

---------------------------------------------------------------

DEFINED TERMS:

1.   BUSINESS DAYS means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or state or
     federal holiday in the State of Colorado.

2.   COMPANY means Rhythms NetConnections Inc.

3.   EMPLOYEE means any person designated as such in the Company's payroll
     records or in the payroll records of any wholly-owned corporate subsidiary
     of the Company.
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4.   EMPLOYMENT means employment as an Employee for payroll purposes, and shall
     not include independent contractors, temporary workers, consultants,
     directors, partners or other third-party relationships that are not
     considered "employment" for payroll purposes.

5.   FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE means an Employee working a minimum of forty (40) hours
     per week for the Company.

6.   MANAGER, in the case of an Employee, shall mean that Employee's immediate
     manager, supervisor or similarly-situated person, regardless of title.

7.   MAXIMUM ACCRUAL AMOUNT, at any point in time, is the total aggregate amount
     of unused PTO an Employee may accrue and carry over to future periods, as
     set forth in the text above.

8.   PART-TIME EMPLOYEE means an Employee working at least twenty (20) hours per
     week, but less than forty (40) hours per week.<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 10.1

                        FIRST LOAN MODIFICATION AGREEMENT
                                 (DOMESTIC LINE)

         This First Loan Modification Agreement (the "Amendment") is entered
into as of March 30, 2001, by and between OPEN MARKET, INC., a Delaware
corporation ("Open Market"), with its chief executive offices located at 1
Wayside Road, Burlington, Massachusetts 01803 and FUTURETENSE, INC., a Delaware
corporation ("FutureTense"), with its chief executive offices located at 1
Wayside Road, Burlington, Massachusetts 01803 (individually and collectively,
jointly and severally, the "Borrower") and SILICON VALLEY BANK, a
California-chartered bank (hereinafter, "Bank" or "Silicon"), with its principal
place of business at 3003 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95054 and with a loan
production office located at One Newton Executive Park, Suite 200, 2221
Washington Street, Newton, MA 02462, doing business under the name "Silicon
Valley East".

1. DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING INDEBTEDNESS. Among other indebtedness which may be
owing by Borrower to Bank, Borrower is indebted to Bank pursuant to a loan
arrangement dated February 28, 2001, evidenced by, among other documents, a
certain Loan and Security Agreement between Borrower and Bank dated as of
February 28, 2001 (the "Loan Agreement"). The Loan Agreement established in
favor of the Borrower a revolving line of credit in the maximum principal amount
of Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000.00) (the "Maximum Credit Limit"). Capitalized
terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meaning as in
the Loan Agreement.

Hereinafter, all indebtedness owing by Borrower to Bank shall be referred to as
the "Obligations".

2. DESCRIPTION OF COLLATERAL AND GUARANTIES. Repayment of the Obligations is
secured by the Collateral as described in the Loan Agreement (together with any
other collateral security granted to Bank, the "Security Documents").

Hereinafter, the Security Documents, together with all other documents
evidencing or securing the Obligations shall be referred to as the "Existing
Loan Documents".

3. DESCRIPTION OF CHANGE IN TERMS.

    A. Modification(s) to Loan Agreement.

         1. The Loan Agreement shall be amended by deleting the following text
            in Section 1 of the Schedule attached thereto:

                "An amount not to exceed the lesser of (A) or (B), below (the
                "Borrowing Base"):"

            and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

                "An amount not to exceed the lesser of (A) or (B), below:"

         2. The Loan Agreement shall be amended by deleting the following text
            appearing as Section 1.I.(B)(i) in the Schedule attached thereto:

                "     (i) 70% of the amount of Borrower's Eligible Receivables
                          generated by Open Market, Inc., PLUS 80% of the
                          Borrower's Eligible Receivables generated by Future
                          Tense, Inc. (each as

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                          defined in Section 8, above), PLUS 60% of the
                          Borrower's eligible "domestic maintenance" Receivables
                          (as determined by Silicon) less than 60 days from due
                          date (the "Receivables Loans") PROVIDED, HOWEVER, the
                          aggregate availability under: (x) this Agreement
                          generated by the Borrower's Eligible Receivables (and
                          by "domestic maintenance" Receivables) and (y) the
                          Exim Agreement generated by the Borrower's Exim
                          Eligible Foreign Accounts (and by "foreign
                          maintenance" Accounts), which are owed by the
                          "Dot.Com" entities (as determined by Silicon) shall
                          not exceed $1,000,000.00; "

            and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

                "     (i) 70% of the amount of Borrower's Eligible Receivables
                          generated by Open Market, Inc., PLUS 80% of the
                          Borrower's Eligible Receivables generated by Future
                          Tense, Inc. (each as defined in Section 8, above),
                          PLUS 60% of the Borrower's eligible "domestic
                          maintenance" Receivables (as determined by Silicon)
                          less than 60 days from due date (the "Receivables
                          Loans") PROVIDED, HOWEVER, the aggregate availability
                          under: (x) this Agreement generated by the Borrower's
                          Eligible Receivables (and by "domestic maintenance"
                          Receivables) and (y) the Exim Agreement generated by
                          the Borrower's Exim Eligible Foreign Accounts (and by
                          "foreign maintenance" Accounts), which are owed by the
                          "Dot.Com" entities (as determined by Silicon) shall
                          not exceed $500,000.00 (the resulting amount described
                          in this Section 1.I.(B)(i) of the Schedule shall be
                          referred to herein as the "BORROWING BASE");"

         3. The Loan Agreement shall be amended by deleting the following text
            appearing as Section 1.II in the Schedule attached thereto:

                "II. IN ADDITION TO THE BORROWING LIMITATIONS CONTAINED IN THE
                DEFINITION OF THE BORROWING BASE AND IN THIS AGREEMENT, THE
                MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF LOANS HEREUNDER SHALL BE SUBJECT TO EACH OF
                THE FOLLOWING:

                      (A) Prior to the earlier of: (i) the occurrence of a
                      Capital Event, or (ii) March 15, 2001, the outstanding
                      Obligations (including, without limitation, those arising
                      under this Agreement, the Exim Agreement and the Factoring
                      Agreement) shall not exceed at any time $4,000,000.00.

                      (B) The outstanding Obligations (including, without
                      limitation, those arising under this Agreement, the Exim
                      Agreement and the Factoring Agreement) shall not exceed at
                      any time the result of the following: (i) the Borrowing
                      Base under this Agreement, PLUS (ii) the lesser of: (a)
                      the EXIM Committed Line as defined in the Exim Agreement,
                      or (b) the Borrowing Base under the Exim Agreement, MINUS
                      (iii) $6,000,000.00.

                      (C) [Intentionally Deleted]

                                      -2-
<PAGE>

                      If at any time Borrower's outstanding Obligations
                      (including, without limitation, those arising under this
                      Agreement, the Exim Agreement and the Factoring Agreement)
                      exceed any limitation described in this Agreement, the
                      Borrower must immediately pay in cash to Silicon the
                      excess."

            and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

                "II. IN ADDITION TO THE BORROWING LIMITATIONS CONTAINED IN THE
                DEFINITIONS OF BORROWING BASE AND MAXIMUM CREDIT LIMIT, AND IN
                THIS AGREEMENT, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF LOANS HEREUNDER SHALL AT
                ALL TIMES BE SUBJECT TO EITHER (A) OR (B) BELOW:

                      (A) The Borrower shall at all times maintain a minimum
                      cash balance at Silicon in an amount equal to or greater
                      than the aggregate of $6,000,000, PLUS an amount equal to
                      all outstanding Obligations (including, without
                      limitation, those arising under this Agreement, the Exim
                      Agreement, the Factoring Agreement, and all letter of
                      credit exposure);

                                       OR

                      (B) The Borrower shall at all times maintain a Borrowing
                      Base (FOR PURPOSES OF THIS CALCULATION IN THIS SECTION
                      1.II OF THE SCHEDULE, THE BORROWING BASE MAY NOT EXCEED
                      $12,000,000.00) in an amount no less than Six Million
                      Dollars ($6,000,000.00) in excess of all outstanding
                      Obligations (including, without limitation, those arising
                      under this Agreement, the Exim Agreement, the Factoring
                      Agreement, and all letter of credit exposure).

                      If at any time Borrower's outstanding Obligations
                      (including, without limitation, those arising under this
                      Agreement, the Exim Agreement, the Factoring Agreement,
                      and all letter of credit exposure) exceed any limitation
                      described in this Agreement, the Borrower must immediately
                      pay in cash to Silicon the excess."

         4. The Loan Agreement shall be amended by deleting Section 5.a. in the
            Schedule attached thereto entitled "Minimum Tangible Net Worth" and
            inserting in lieu thereof the following:

                "a.  Minimum Tangible Net Worth:

                      Borrower shall maintain at all times, to be tested as of
                the last day of each month, a Tangible Net Worth of not less
                than the sum of (i) plus (ii) below:

                                      -3-

<PAGE>

                      (i) (a) $15,000,000.00 from March 15, 2001 until and
                      including March 31, 2001;

                      (b) $12,750,000.00 from April 1, 2001 until and including
                      April 30, 2001;

                      (c) $10,750,000.00 from May 1, 2001 until and including
                      June 29, 2001;

                      (d) $11,000,000.00 at June 30, 2001;

                      (e) $7,000,000.00 from July 1, 2001 until and including
                      September 29, 2001;

                      (f) $8,500,000.00 at September 30, 2001;

                      (g) $5,500,000.00 from October 1, 2001 until and including
                      December 30, 2001; and

                      (h) $8,500,000.00 at December 31, 2001 and thereafter.

                      (ii)  85% of all consideration received after February 28,
                            2001 for equity securities and subordinated debt of
                            the Borrower, subsequent to or in excess of the
                            $10,000,000 additional capital requirement set forth
                            in subsection (b) below.

                      In no event shall the amount of this Minimum Tangible Net
                      Worth covenant be decreased."

         5. The Loan Agreement shall be amended by deleting Section 5.b. in the
            Schedule attached thereto entitled "Capital" and inserting in lieu
            thereof the following:

                "b.  Capital:

                      The Borrower will have received a minimum of
                      $10,000,000.00 of additional "Capital" on or before March
                      28, 2001 (the "Capital Event")."

         6. The definition of "Collateral" in the Loan Agreement shall be
            amended to include, in addition to those items described in the Loan
            Agreement, all right, title and interest of Borrower in and to the
            following:

                "All goods, equipment, inventory, contract rights, trademarks,
                servicemarks, trade styles, trade names, patents, patent
                applications, leases, license agreements, franchise agreements,
                general intangibles, accounts, documents, instruments, chattel
                paper, cash, deposit accounts, fixtures, letters of credit,
                investment property, and financial assets, whether now owned or
                hereafter acquired, wherever located; and

                      Any copyright rights, copyright applications, copyright
                      registrations and like protections in each work of
                      authorship and derivative work, whether published or
                      unpublished, now owned or later acquired; any patents,
                      trademarks, service marks and applications therefor; any
                      trade secret rights, including any rights to unpatented
                      inventions, know-how, operating manuals, license rights
                      and agreements and confidential information, now owned or
                      hereafter acquired; or any claims for damages by way of
                      any past, present and future infringement of any of the
                      foregoing; and

                                      -4-

<PAGE>

                      All Borrower's Books relating to the foregoing and any and
                      all claims, rights and interests in any of the above and
                      all substitutions for, additions, attachments,
                      accessories, accessions and improvements to and
                      replacements, products, proceeds and insurance proceeds of
                      any or all of the foregoing."

         7. The Borrower hereby grants a security interest to Bank in all of its
            right, title and interest in the "Collateral" defined in the Loan
            Agreement, as amended hereby, to secure all Obligations under the
            Loan Agreement, as amended hereby.

         8. On or before the execution of this Amendment, the Borrower shall:
            (i) transfer all primary operating accounts and cash management
            services to the Bank, and (ii) terminate any lock box arrangement
            with any other institution and enter into a lock box arrangement
            with the Bank on terms satisfactory to the Bank pursuant to which
            all amounts payable to the Borrower shall be directed to the Bank.
            Any failure by Borrower to perform any requirement of this paragraph
            shall be an Event of Default under the Loan Agreement.

         9. On or before the execution of this Amendment, all bank and
            investment accounts, cash, investment property and securities of
            Open Market Securities, Inc., a Massachusetts subsidiary of Open
            Market, Inc., shall be maintained and deposited with the Bank on
            terms acceptable to Bank as collateral under a certain Security
            Agreement granted by Open Market Securities, Inc. to Bank. Any
            failure by Borrower to perform any requirement of this paragraph
            shall be an Event of Default under the Loan Agreement, as amended
            hereby.

4. FEE. The Borrower shall reimburse Bank for all legal fees and expenses
incurred in connection with this amendment to the Existing Loan Documents.

5. CONSISTENT CHANGES. The Existing Loan Documents are hereby amended wherever
necessary to reflect the changes described above.

6. RATIFICATION OF LOAN DOCUMENTS. Borrower hereby ratifies, confirms, and
reaffirms all terms and conditions of all security or other collateral granted
to the Bank, and confirms that the indebtedness secured thereby includes,
without limitation, the Obligations.

7. NO DEFENSES OF BORROWER. Borrower agrees that, as of this date, it has no
defenses against the obligations to pay any amounts under the Obligations.

8. CONTINUING VALIDITY. Borrower understands and agrees that in modifying the
existing Obligations, Bank is relying upon Borrower's representations,
warranties, and agreements, as set forth in the Existing Loan Documents. Except
as expressly modified pursuant to this Loan Modification Agreement, the terms of
the Existing Loan Documents remain unchanged and in full force and effect.
Bank's agreement to modifications to the existing Obligations pursuant to this
Loan Modification Agreement in no way shall obligate Bank to make any future
modifications to the Obligations. Nothing in this Loan Modification Agreement
shall constitute a satisfaction of the Obligations. It is the intention of Bank
and Borrower to retain as liable parties all makers and endorsers of Existing
Loan Documents, unless the party is expressly released by Bank in writing. No
maker, endorser, or guarantor will be released by virtue of this Loan
Modification Agreement.

9. JURISDICTION/VENUE. Borrower accepts for itself and in connection with its
properties, unconditionally, the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any state or
federal court of competent jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in
any action, suit, or proceeding of any kind against it which arises out

                                      -5-

<PAGE>

of or by reason of this Loan Modification Agreement; provided, however, that if
for any reason Bank cannot avail itself of the courts of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, then venue shall lie in Santa Clara County, California.

10. COUNTERSIGNATURE. This Loan Modification Agreement shall become effective
only when it shall have been executed by Borrower and Bank (provided, however,
in no event shall this Loan Modification Agreement become effective until signed
by an officer of Bank in California).

                                      -6-
<PAGE>

         This Loan Modification Agreement is executed as of the date first
written above.

                                      ("BORROWER")

                                      OPEN MARKET, INC.

                                      By: /s/ Edward Durkin
                                         -----------------------------------

                                      Name: Edward Durkin
                                           ---------------------------------

                                      Title: VP and CFO
                                            --------------------------------

                                      FUTURETENSE, INC.

                                      By: /s/ Edward Durkin
                                         -----------------------------------

                                      Name: Edward Durkin
                                           ---------------------------------

                                      Title: Vice President
                                            --------------------------------

                                      ("BANK")

                                      SILICON VALLEY BANK, doing business as
                                      SILICON VALLEY EAST

                                      By: /s/ John Atansoff
                                         -----------------------------------

                                      Name: John Atansoff
                                           ---------------------------------

                                      Title: Vice President
                                            --------------------------------

                                      SILICON VALLEY BANK

                                      By:          N/A
                                         -----------------------------------

                                      Name:
                                           ---------------------------------

                                      Title:
                                            --------------------------------

                                      (signed in Santa Clara County, California)

                                      -7-

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