Patricia Fusco

An internal Federal Communication Commission memo recently made public reveals the nation’s regulators plan to oppose the MCI WorldCom Inc. and Sprint Corp. merger. Tom Krattenmaker, research director of the agency’s office of plans and policy, wrote the Oct. 21 memo. Krattenmaker has led the assessment of a several telecommunications mergers and formerly worked in […]

AT&T Corp.’s WorldNet Internet service reignited the battle over access to America Online Inc.’s Instant Messaging services this week. Instant messaging market leader America Online (AOL) thwarted similar attempts to share their 80 million strong IM customer base with Microsoft Corp. earlier this year. WorldNet had planned to let its 1.8 million subscribers send instant […]

Dutch ISP XS4ALL Internet B.V. scored a major legal victory for consumer privacy after an Amsterdam court upheld its right to publicize the privacy policies of Hotmail and several free Dutch ISPs. The court also allowed the counterclaim of XS4ALL, finding that ISP Wanadooshould immediately discontinue advertising their guarantee that customers’ details are not used […]

According to a new report by Jupiter Communications Inc., conventional Internet service providers will not be displaced by free Internet access anytime soon. In the report, Jupiter (JPTR) contends that free ISPs may be expected to serve more than 13 million ouseholds by 2003, but that free Internet access would only diversify revenue models for […]

Consumer and public interest advocacy groups are expressing concern over AT&T’s agreement to begin opening its new cable broadband networks to rival Internet service providers. According to the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and the Center for Media Education, AT&T’s actions offers no assurances that it will treat all ISPs equitably. Jeffrey Chester, Center […]

AT&T Corp. Monday outlined its commitment to provide the online community with a choice of Internet Service Providers for high-speed Internet access over the company’s broadband cable and fixed wireless systems. In a radical departure from recent court cases challenging local authority to mandate open access to their cable networks, AT&T’s (T) fixed wireless systems […]

Digital Subscriber Line provider DSL.net Inc. Friday acquired Tycho Networks Inc. Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., Tycho provides Internet access throughout the central coast of California. DSL.net (DSLN) paid approximately $2.1 million in cash for ISP. David F. Struwas, DSL.net president and chief executive officer, said the acquisition provides DSL.net with a key presence in […]

The National Conference of State Legislatures Committee on Commerce and Communications has unanimously voted to table a resolution supporting cable companies’ right to deny competitors access to their networks. Originally supported by AT&T Corp. (T) and other cable companies, the resolution rejected by the state offices was intended to limit their legislative authority over cable […]

AT&T Corp. confirmed its WorldNet Internet access service experienced a nationwide outage Wednesday affecting the service’s 1.6 million users. The outage, which lasted under 4:30 p.m. Eastern, left thousands of AT&T’s WorldNet business customers’ offline, unable to contact clients and make regular business transactions. WorldNet subscribers reported that they lost their connections around 8:15 a.m. […]

America Online Inc. Tuesday announced a three-year agreement with Internet telephony service provider Net2Phone Inc. As a result of the deal, America Online (AOL) plans to provide their 37 million AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) users with Internet telephony communications services. AOL will work with Net2Phone (NTOP) to create AIM-branded Internet telephony products and services. The […]

Low-priced computer maker eMachines Inc. announced that it plans to merge with FreePC Inc. late Monday, marking the demise of the free PC and Internet access give-away program. The privately held firms plan to complete the deal with a stock swap, but other financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in September 1998, […]

Fresh off a number of global acquisitions PSINet Inc. Monday acquired independent Internet service provider Telalink Corp. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. PSINet (PSIX) will gain more than 1,800 business clients from the privately held ISP. Nashville, Tenn.-based Telalink will continue to operate as a PSINet company and will maintain its local […]