High Speed Access Corp. and Time Warner Cable have reached a definitive
agreement enabling the broadband-services provider to offer high-speed Internet
access over the AOL Time Warner Inc. unit's cable systems, the parties announced
Tuesday.
Under the pact, both companies will be free to market the Internet service
independently.
Subject to Federal Trade Commission approval, the accord with HSA is the
third national Internet-service provider agreement reached by Time Warner, which
has already pacted with EarthLink Network Inc. and Juno Online Services Inc.
Terms were not disclosed.
HSA and Time Warner plan to begin rolling out the high-speed service in the
second half of the year, following the completion of modifications to the MSO's
systems to accommodate multiple ISPs.
'This agreement to offer HSA's broadband Internet service over Time Warner
Cable's systems demonstrates that market solutions will fuel competition in the
high-speed Internet arena, and we applaud Time Warner Cable for taking the lead
in creating the opportunity for its broadband customers to choose from a number
of ISPs,' HSA president and CEO Dan O'Brien said in a prepared statement.
'HSA is excited about this substantial growth opportunity, and it looks
forward to working with Time Warner Cable to provide a high-quality broadband
alternative to its customers,' O'Brien added.
Under the conditions of its approval of America Online Inc.'s merger with
Time Warner Inc., which was completed in January, the Federal Communications
Commission required that the company allow competing ISPs on Time Warner Cable
systems to have fair carriage contracts and unimpeded 'first-screen'
relationships with their subscribers.
In addition, such companies are to have direct billing relationships with
customers and must be able to derive benefits from such technical features as
the caching of Web pages.
