Nothing
but ...Cool
Free Stuff!!
Only cool free ISPs ...No Junk!
By
James Martell
Website:
www.desktop-publishers.com
October
13, 2000
Are
free ISP's causing sleepless nights for traditional fee-based
ISPs'
Let's
face it. Human nature is such that if people can get something for
nothing, most of them will take that route. This is not good news
for the traditional charge-for-service ISP.
Will
users agree to be subjected to advertising in exchange for free Internet
access? Absolutely, and some very popular portals, including Excite
and Yahoo! are banking on it!
Without
the typical $20 a month, these services need other revenue sources.
Most free ISPs turn to advertisers. Many will ask you for
information about your buying lifestyle and buying habits so advertisers
can target their messages to the right audience.
How
does this affect your surfing experience? In most cases, you'll
content with a mandatory banner bar. Close the bar and you'll lose
your connection.
The
success of broadcast TV certainly suggests that the scheme is viable. On
the other hand, in light of the fact that ISPs—especially nationwide,
publicly traded ISPs—by and large have not made a profit, many feel
that the Free ISP business model cannot work.
Case
in point is FreeInternet.com, which filed for Chapter 11 this month
shows that this business model is still in the proving stages.
How
about service levels? When I first heard about the Free ISP model,
the old saying "You get what you pay for" popped into my head.
So I downloaded the software, dialed up, and tried it. I quickly
realized that the service provider used a bulk dial-up; connection speed
and throughput were essentially the same.
So
what does all this mean to traditional ISPs? In my view, at the
very least it means-sooner or later-they will have to compete seriously
with the free ISPs. And the basis of that competition will be
service: There will always be users who dislike ads-and those who want
home pages (which NetZero does not offer)-and others who are willing to
pay for personalized service.
In the
end, the rule on Free ISPs is: Don't be afraid of them, but take them
seriously. They're a genuine threat, but no more so than your friendly
national ISP.
For
more information or to register with a free ISP, visit the free
ISP locator at www.1st-Free-ISP.com!
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this site! ]
About
The Author:
James
Martell is the Sr. Editor and Webmaster for
Desktop-Publishers.com, a free stuff site featuring free ISPs, free
voicemail and free long
distance, click here!
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