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Netscape-Branded ISP Launching February 2004

Posted by timothy on from the not-a-bad-price dept.

Guppy06 writes "I'm too lazy to change my homepage in Netscape 7 to something else, and that's where I discovered an ad leading towards what appears to be a trial run of a new Netscape-branded ISP. While this isn't as momentous as, say, Netscape bundled with AOL would be, they seem to be aiming at Juno and NetZero with their price of $9.95/month ($1.00/month to participate in the trial run ending in February). This may just end up being a fizzle, or it could be part of a two-pronged attack on MSN by AOL."

4 of 222 comments (clear)

  1. In Canada already? by BagOBones · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have been hearing ads on the radio for it here already. Sounds like one of those accelerated/compressed dial-up services.

    --
    EA David Gardner -"... but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun."
  2. Netscape offering kind-of-broadband in Canada by puppetman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've been hearing commercials for Netscape as a broad-band-like ISP in Canada on the radio lately.

    They are going to have a tough go of it, competing against Telus.

    They claim,

    "Netscape Online Accelerator uses advanced web acceleration technology to increase the speed of dial up service, using your existing phone jack and modem without the expense of high speed services such as DSL or a cable modem. No additional equipment is required nor is there any waiting for installation"

    Sounds like some sort of caching strategy to deliver content faster.

    Overall, sounds like a step backwards to me. I'll stick with my Shaw 300KB/second cable-Internet for $30 Canadian a month.

    1. Re:Netscape offering kind-of-broadband in Canada by Daneurysm · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Right there I see a number of 'warning signs' First of all, use of the term 'broadband like'...if that doesn't seem highly suspect to you, perhaps the overuse of common buzzwords

      'advanced web acceleration technology'

      Then we've got '...without the expense of highspeed services...', attempting to appeal to the 'value conscious' (read: cheap)

      Bah humbug.

  3. Excellent....? by Daneurysm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While this could be part of a 'two pronged attack' on MSN, I highly doubt that. It will most certainly be a fizzle if they are merely offering basic dialup service. Unless they have a standard 'dialup accelerator' or some other value added feature that sets them apart from the rest of the dialup services, there's not much more room in this market IMHO. Unless of course they start this as their 'basic' level of service and offer a very cheap broadband solution along side (eventually). I fail to see that happening so long as DSL lines have to be bought from SBC and cable lines bought from Comcast. ~Dan