AOL discontinues bundled broadband Offer

[Guest LilBambi]

APWire: AOL discontinues bundled broadband Offer

America Online Inc. has quietly stopped offering a complete broadband package, requiring subscribers to instead obtain their high-speed Internet connections directly from a cable modem or DSL provider. The reversal in strategy stands as another black mark against the purported wisdom of the $160 billion merger between America Online and Time Warner at the height of the Internet boom, a deal the companies had described as a perfect marriage of new and old media with the means to deliver it.The decision to stop selling bundled service — an AOL-branded cable or DSL connection combined with AOL's walled garden of content — follows a strategic realignment that began in December 2002, AOL spokeswoman Anne Bentley said Friday.The change, which took effect late last month, does not affect customers who bought the package before then.Although AOL would not provide a detailed breakdown, relatively few of the company's 3 million broadband subscribers had the $54.95-a-month package. Most had AOL's "bring your own access" service for $14.95 a month and obtained access separately, Bentley said.In addition to the broadband customers, AOL has about 21 million dial-up subscribers in the United States.

[Ed_P]

But Bentley said uncoupling access from content permits nationwide marketing of "AOL for Broadband," a service with richer audio and video content for high-speed.Before, AOL could offer bundling only in select markets, primarily areas served by sister company Time Warner Cable and a handful of DSL companies with which it had deals.

Not going away, just going to be marketed differently. Personally I recommend people get off of AOL altogether.

[Guest LilBambi]

Yes, they are still making AOL available through whatever provider you have as they have been doing for quite a while now.However, they will NOT be selling the bundled broadband services .. i.e., bundling AOL with their branded version of Verizon DSL.Those who were unfortunate enough to get this found out that it is not true broadband like any other .. you STILL HAVE TO LOGIN to their AOL software to access ANYTHING on the Internet just like when they were back on dialup!It was a real drawback. Most folks that get Cable/DSL broadband from direct providers like Cox, Charter, Verizon, SBC, whatever, and decide they want to continue with AOL (several clients are doing this), they can still get to the Internet at any time without having to open the hoggy AOL software. Then they can open AOL to get to specialized content and email at their leisure if that's their thing. But they can use any browser and still get to the Internet at any time.The real problem came in because they don't tell you that you can't access the Internet without signing in. They see their neighbors with DSL/Cable being able to just open Internet Explorer and surfing regardless of whether they are still customers of AOL or not, because they DID NOT buy through AOL with their lame and limited AOL Broadband service.It was a very lame service anyway.

[Rons]

Thanks Fran.