High Speed Access Corp., an Internet service provider targeting markets of fewer than 100,000 people, is pulling out of its deal to provide Web access over AOL Time Warner's cable-television network. The Littleton, Colo.-based High Speed is one of three partners announced by AOL TW to satisfy the terms imposed by the Federal Trade Commission's conditions for approval of the America Online and Time Warner merger.

The ISP, which has approximately 176,000 subscribers, said it was unable to come up with the money necessary be an AOL content partner or to market the proposed cable Web service. As part of the government's approval of the $112 billion merger between AOL and Time Warner, the FTC required the new company to make its cable network available to at least three rival ISPs.

AOL TW's other two partners are Earthlink, Inc., and Juno Online Services. The Atlanta-based Earthlink will debut later this month over AOL TW's cable system in Columbus, Ohio, and Juno is scheduled to begin service later this fall after AOL launches it services over Time Warner-owned cable systems.

Although it declined to name them, an AOL Time Warner spokesperson told the Washington Post, "We look forward to announcing more deals in the future."

High Speed has been experiencing financial difficulties and is considering some contracts and assets to Charter Communications Inc. of St. Louis for $73 million in cash.