Update: AOL denies unmetered -- but soon
Published: 12 Apr 2000 15:41 BST
AOL denied Wednesday that it is to launch an unmetered service next week, but told ZDNN that an announcement on an unmetered offering is imminent.
AOL has been extremely vocal in its criticism of BT's Surftime, claiming the telco announced the pricing structure of its wholesale unmetered service before informing ISPs of the full cost. AOL believes the costs need to fall. "BT's Surftime does not give AOL the opportunity to roll unmetered out at the moment," says an AOL spokesman.
The spokesman adds: "Our customers want what everyone wants: the same model as the US, but BT is preventing us doing that right now."
For the last 18 months AOL has been leading the fight to get unmetered access in the UK, supporting CUT (Campaign for Unmetered Telecommunications) and losing no opportunity to point the finger of blame for high prices at BT.
BT hits back claiming ISPs of being disingenuous. "ISPs are absolutely clear on what they are going to pay. What they say privately is not what they say in public," claims BT's marketing director Angus Porter. So far only Freeserve has taken up the Surftime offer.
In looks likely that AOL will not chose Surftime for its imminent unmetered package. According to an AOL spokesman the ISP is in talks with other operators.
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