EarthLink hooks up to wireless broadband

Internet service provider EarthLink will work with Digitalpath Networks to offer wireless broadband access in certain Northern California cities, under a deal to be announced Wednesday.

The partners will sell a cobranded service at speeds of up to 384 kilobits per second or up to 1 megabit per second for $21.95 a month or $29.95 a month, respectively. Digitalpath will provide the connectivity, while EarthLink will bundle in its Web software, such as a pop-up blocker and a spam-filtering tool, the companies said.

The wireless broadband service is expected to launch in Chico, Sacramento and Redding--the Northern California markets already served by Digitalpath. The companies did not say when the service will debut.

Wireless broadband, commonly called WiMax, delivers Internet access over the airwaves rather than through cable television or telephone lines. Subscribers need to mount an antenna on their homes to receive the signal. The technology is still at its beginning stage and is not expected to see widespread deployment for at least a few years.

Nevertheless, Atlanta-based EarthLink hopes that wireless broadband and other access delivery technologies will serve to reduce its dependency on telephone and cable companies. Earlier this year, EarthLink struck a deal with Progress Energy to offer broadband access over power lines.

"EarthLink is once again demonstrating that it will take advantage of multiple service platforms to best meet the high-speed needs of its customers," Steve Howe, vice president of corporate strategy at EarthLink, said in a statement.