Internet provider EarthLink Network Inc. has topped 1
million subscribers after more than doubling its member base during
1998.
The Pasadena, Calif., company late Monday said the milestone came
about one or two months ahead of its previous estimates. EarthLink
Chairman Sky Dayton said the achievement comes after an incredible
year for the company.
“1998 was an incredible year, not only for EarthLink, but for the
Internet as well. The Internet arrived in the mass market, so much so
that the entire technology industry has now reoriented itself to be
Internet-centric,” he said.
Approximately 185,000 new members were added during the fourth
quarter, compared to 60,000 in the quarter a year ago, for an increase
of 300 percent.
EarthLink President Garry Beatty attributed the subscriber milestone
to the company’s aggressive efforts to gain new members through
partnerships with long distance carrier Sprint and computer makers.
“Our marketing programs with Sprint, in addition to a desktop presence
on leading machines like Apple Computer’s iMac and a number of Packard
Bell NEC models, and our partnerships with CompUSA and other leading
retailers, really helped put EarthLink’s software in the hands of
people ready to surf the Internet for the first time,” he said.
The strong subscriber growth is also expected to have a positive
impact on revenues. EarthLink is estimating its fourth-quarter
revenues will total about $58.3 million, 138 percent higher than the
year-ago figure of $24.5 million.
