EarthLink launches high-speed broadband service

EarthLink on Wednesday announced a new broadband service that promises faster download speeds.

The 3mpbs service is up to 70 times faster than a normal dial-up connection, the Internet service provider said. The service is currently available to the majority of its subscribers at a promotional price of $34.95 per month. However, the price will shoot up to $49.95 a month once the 12-month promotion is over.

EarthLink quietly began offering the service in April to first-time customers in a handful of cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver and Atlanta, where the company rents lines from Covad Communications Group. The move irked many longtime EarthLink subscribers who complained they were getting the cold shoulder.

The company said most of its existing customers will be automatically upgraded to the new DSL service without any added cost, provided they meet technical specifications such as proximity to their phone company's central office and the capacity of their existing DSL network.

EarthLink TotalAccess, a suite of software tools such as SpamBlocker, Pop-Up Blocker and Spyware Blocker, is supplied for free with the DSL service. Other freebies include a dial-up service of 20 hours per month while away from home.

[jacomo]

How Do they Do this??

Still needs to use Service providers for the Last Mile Piece. How can they be making any money when they have to pay the SP for DSL link, the Internet piece certainly does not have the margins ?? Can their Portal and Ad campaigns be that profitable?

I am a Service Provider with DSL and Internet Services and I am sure Earthlink would have some customers in my market wanting access to them.