EarthLink and Charter Launch High-Speed Cable Internet Access Across
the Country
Business Wire - September 23, 1998 07:14
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 1998--
Joint Service Offered by Internet Service Provider and Multiple Services Operator has Potential to Reach 1.8 Million
Households in 19 States
Signaling the entry of another national player into the cable-based Internet access market, EarthLink (Nasdaq:ELNK) and
Charter Communications Wednesday announced an agreement to deliver Charter Pipeline Powered by EarthLink high-speed
Internet service across the country.
EarthLink and Charter have joined forces to offer the service to Charter system operators serving 1.8 million potential
customers in 19 states.
An extension of the companies' existing relationship in the greater Los Angeles area, Pipeline holds key strategic advantages
over other cable-based providers, like national dial-in ability at more than 1,500 POPs and industry-renowned customer
support. In addition, local Charter system operators can opt for either two-way or one-way telco-return configurations, which
is significant since only about a quarter of all systems can support a two-way scheme.
"Partnering with a full-service ISP like EarthLink gives Charter flexibility and features not available from national services like
Roadrunner and others," said Charles G. (Garry) Betty, president and CEO of EarthLink.
"Our Southern California rollout of Charter Pipeline is a real-world demonstration of how well this kind of alliance can work.
And now we'll be able to capitalize on that success on a national scale by offering our service to all Charter's local operators,"
Betty added.
Competitive advantages EarthLink offers MSOs include:
-- A national POP network -- High-speed Internet access is great when customers are at home, but what happens when they
want to get their e-mail or surf the Web from work or a hotel room? Pipeline members can access their account through any of
EarthLink's 1,500+ local dial-up numbers in North America and internationally.
-- Experience with two-way and telco-return systems -- Unlike some competitors, Pipeline works with both two-way and
telco-return (cable downstream/phone modem upstream) systems. This is significant, since a large majority of the country's
cable systems are not two-way capable.
-- Industry-leading customer service and technical support -- EarthLink, which has won numerous industry awards for its
customer service, handles all technical support calls from Pipeline members.
-- Scalable network -- EarthLink's network infrastructure can scale to accommodate a large number of users in a short
timeframe. For example, the company recently added more than 130,000 members over one weekend with no significant
downtime.
-- Built-in member base -- Since EarthLink has 710,000 members, the opportunity exists to convert thousands of EarthLink's
existing analog-modem members to the high-speed Pipeline service.
"The Charter-EarthLink association has given us a significant advantage in launching Charter Pipeline," said Jerald L. Kent,
president and CEO of Charter. "We provide the infrastructure, high-speed local connection and marketing, and they provide
the Internet access and technical support. By complementing each other's strengths, we've produced a better product."
Charter Pipeline is currently available in the Los Angeles area, St. Louis, Mo., and parts of Connecticut. Plans are underway
for future service rollouts in other areas. EarthLink offers other broadband Internet access solutions as well, such as national
frame relay and satellite-based access.
For more information about EarthLink's high-speed Internet access services, call 800/511-2044. For more information about
EarthLink Sprint dial-up accounts or other EarthLink Internet access and Web hosting services, call 800/395-8425 or visit
www.earthlink.net.
About Charter
Charter Communications is a privately held, St. Louis-based telecommunications company which offers information,
entertainment and communications services to more than 1.8 million potential customers in 19 states.
Investor Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, recently agreed to acquire Charter as part of his "Wired World" new media
and technology investments. The company will combine with Marcus Cable and retain its headquarters in St. Louis, with Jerald
L. Kent as CEO.
About EarthLink
EarthLink is the world's largest independent Internet service provider. Through its unified EarthLink Sprint Internet access
service, the company makes the Internet relevant and productive to hundreds of thousands of individuals and businesses every
day. With headquarters in Pasadena, EarthLink provides a full range of innovative access and hosting solutions to thousands of
communities internationally from more than 1,500 points of presence.
EarthLink and Sprint Corp. (NYSE:FON) have formed a broad business relationship to create an Internet service with the
potential to reach millions of new customers. Sprint is a global communications company and one of the world's largest carriers
of Internet traffic. Information about EarthLink and EarthLink Sprint services is available by calling 800/395-8425 and through |
