Excite Joins Unmetered Net Access Market

Search engine and portal group Excite UK has this morning become the latest company to offer unmetered, subscription-free internet access. The service, at www.thefreeinternet.net, has been set up in conjunction with the Free Internet Group and follows a flurry of similar launches from the likes of AltaVista (see AltaVista To Offer Unmetered Net Access) and cable company NTL (see NTL Returns Fire As Internet Access War Heats Up).

Excite’s new service offers users unlimited online time without a monthly subscription fee and no obligation to purchase any other services or change their existing telephone service provider. Members will pay an initial £50 membership fee, followed by an annual renewal charge of £20, which will be reimbursed to users through a voucher and benefit scheme. AltaVista has yet to confirm the details of its unmetered access service, although it is expected that the initial registration and annual top-up fee will be in the same region as Excite’s. NTL’s service, whilst free to customers, still requires that they pay the NTL subscription charges, which start at £9.25 per month.

Commenting on the launch of The Free Internet, Chris Walen, managing director of the Free Internet Group says: “As the cost of this service is only a one off membership fee of £50, this works out at less than fourteen pence per day for the first year – less than the cost of a daily newspaper. When combined with the other benefits of membership, we believe that this is an absolutely unbeatable offer and will encourage many users to switch to our new service.”

Excite UK: www.excite.co.uk The Free Internet Group: 020 8636 7377 … www.thefreeinternet.net