Eircom offers free Net access

Eircom has followed several competitors into the free Internet access market with an offer called Go Further for Free.

The new service is available today from Eircom's Internet service provider subsidiary, Eircom Net, and offers unlimited Internet access at local call rates without any registration, subscription or CD charges. Subscribers will get unlimited e-mail addresses and 20 megabytes of space for the development of websites.

Earlier competitors in the free Internet access market include computer manufacturer Gateway Computer, telecommunications companies Ocean and Esat and Internet service provider Indigo.

Free means there are no monthly or annual subscription charges - typically about £120, including VAT, in the Irish market - but users must pay local phone call rates and cannot use Eircom's cheaper 1891 Internet access call number, available to users of paid subscriptions.

With few points of differentiation between their services, free Internet service operators have been using the amount they charge callers for using their technical support lines as a lure to computer users - at least initially, since other operators have quickly matched each new entrant's charges.

From £1 a minute last June, when Gateway and Ocean introduced the free Net access market in Ireland, technical support costs have settled at 58p a minute. Eircom says it will offer free technical support as subscribers set up their accounts, and then will charge 58p a minute for further help.