Nothing
but ...Cool
Free Stuff!!
Free ISP services and more ...No Junk!
By
James Martell Website:
www.desktop-publishers.com
February
28, 2000
Another
Portal jumps into the Free ISP services game
Like
free e-mail before it, free ISP services are an absolute must-have
accessory for any self-respecting portal site. The latest to jump on the
free Internet access bandwagon is FreeLane
powered by Excite. Supported by 1stUp.com, the ISP that
already powers the free Internet services for AltaVista among other
portal sights has been chosen as the carrier.
Free
Internet access, like television, is subsidized by advertising dollars.
The idea has been around for several years, but only in the past two
years – with the successful IPO of NetZero and the incessant deal
making of 1stUp – has the model been validated. Co-branded ISPs such
as 1stUp let partners like Excite or AltaVista offer free Internet
access to users. The co-branded ISP gets the benefit of the partner's
reach, and the partner gets a compelling new service to offer to its
subscribers.
With
the addition of Excite, 1stUp appears to have sewn up the majority of
the portal space and is fast becoming one of the largest ISPs in the
country. 1stUp claims to have 5.5 million registered users.
With the addition of Excite to its long list of partners, which include
TV stations, other portal sites, e-commerce sites and dozens of other
Web properties, 1stUp is the undisputed king of affinity free ISPs.
Although
1stUp has a good head start, the free ISP space is still wide open. The
early leader, NetZero, which doesn't offer co-branding, has built a
considerable national brand and is flush with cash, thanks to a
successful IPO. There also are countless e-commerce sites, as well as
offline companies, looking to offer free Internet access.
Jockeying in this space is far from over – sources with two separate
free ISPs claim to have ongoing negotiations with Lycos, as well as
other portal and e-commerce sites for similar co-branding deals. Look
for many more announcements to come.
For
more information or to register with a free
ISP services provider
visit the free ISP locator.
**
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