Net service provider Freeserve has announced two
unmetered Internet pricing plans to compete with the flood of
offers made by rivals during the last month.
BT telephone line users will be offered unlimited off-peak
access for £6.99 a month from May 2000. For users prepared
to switch telecoms provider, Freeserve will offer unmetered
access at all times if customers spend at least £10 a month
on voice calls. This is an extension of the ISP’s existing
Freeserve Time deal.
Freeserve was the first ISP to offer subscription-free Internet
access when it was launched in September 1998 by
high-street retailer Dixons Group. But its model is under
pressure from Altavista, NTL and others who have promised
free Internet phone calls as well as no subscription.
Fully unmetered access is available for customers who switch
telco to Energis and spend at least £10 on voice telephone
calls. Users can access the Energis network by buying a
router box – for about £10 – or by dialling a code before the
call.
Freeserve hopes to avoid the technical problems caused by
the popularity of unmetered services by limiting sign up to
Freeserve Time to 10,000 users a week.
Altavista announced that it would offer free Internet access
for a one-off fee of between £30 and £50, and an annual
payment of £10 to £20. NTL said it will offer free and
unmetered Internet access in the UK for users of its phone
service, with no annual charge. Yesterday, ISP breathe said
it would offer free online access for life, for a one-off charge
of £50.
