eWEEK EDITORS

Prodigy Communications, one of the worlds first Internet services, has remarkable brand recognition and a footprint that makes it accessible to more than 90 percent of the country. Yet, in revenue and customer counts, its dwarfed by America Online and The Microsoft Network. “For different reasons at different times, weve had our ups and downs,” […]

Mighty morphin internet billboards are coming to a mall near you. I-Open, a Pennsylvania company, has developed a technology that allows retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nine West to use the Internet to deliver precisely targeted messages to consumers via high-definition, flat-screen displays at their retail stores. The stores control the ads via […]

To reach the finish line in todays internet service provider race, you need speed and staying power. At Home, which has 3 million home subscribers to its Excite@Home service, credits its growth over the last year to its high-speed Internet services, but says that improving infrastructure will be crucial to continued success. “Our broadband service […]

By leveraging Microsofts brand name, market influence from its leading Explorer Web browser and a massive pocketbook, not to mention copying other Internet service providers, The Microsoft Network has quickly built itself into a leading Net access company. The company offers little that is different from its competitors, such as America Online and EarthLink, but […]

It was fun while it lasted. The “irrational” exuberance that comes with new discoveries and unlimited dreams has given way to a hard-headed realism that places profits ahead of prophecy. Weve debated the spiritual meaning of “telecosm”; now its time to get down to business and turn it into a money machine. Who will make […]

From its inception, EarthLink has seen itself as David to America Onlines Goliath. Seven years later, the sentiment remains. “Youve got one huge beast and a bunch of little beauties,” says EarthLink President Mike McQuary. EarthLink is the second largest U.S. Internet service provider in terms of number of subscribers — 4.7 million — and […]

Changes in telecommunications are happening so quickly that navigating the market is beginning to feel a bit like driving through a small town on the interstate: If you blink, youll miss it. Interactive Week set out to get a lay of the service provider land back in February. The idea was to figure out who […]

People in rural america need wireless and internet services, too, CenturyTel has concluded. Led by CEO Glen F. Post III, CenturyTel specializes in rural and suburban phone service in 21 states. Although wired phone services made up $1.3 billion of CenturyTels $1.8 billion in 2000 revenue, the company is concentrating on wireless expansion in second-tier […]

Sprint PCS isnt the biggest fish in the wireless pond, but it is adding customers faster than anyone. “Weve led the industry for three consecutive years in terms of adding new customers, and have every chance of continuing our unbroken streak,” says Scott Relf, senior vice president of marketing at the company. In the first […]

If misery loves company, AT&T and British Telecommunications might look like perfect partners. Less than a year ago, analysts predicted the two struggling giants would merge to salvage their vanishing long-distance business. Instead, they are breaking up a joint venture called Concert that has hit some sour notes. Concert, a provider of Internet and telecommunications […]

CELLULAR PHONES Now that I travel and need a national cellular plan, I said goodbye to my Motorola dual-mode StarTac—the closest thing to a classic Ive seen—and got the newer tri-mode version. The “improved” cellular phone stores four times as many numbers, which I welcomed. So whats the beef? Its harder to use. Im still […]

Deutsche Telekom is turning to the world to fuel the companys growth. “Deutsche Telekom is committed to driving internationalization in order to better serve our customers and bring long-term value to our shareholders,” says Jeffrey A. Hedberg, head of DTs international division. In the past 18 months, DT deals have totaled $59.1 billion. The pending […]