RE: UKNM: The 'free' in free ISP now a commodity

[Bunder, Leslie]

I suspect the reason why BT is offering 0800 access (at weekends only)

is to be seen as offering something to Net users.


Alas, when you take into consideration that the free 0800 access only

applies at weekends and then only applies if you pay �11.75 a month for

Net access, you really have to work out is that a good deal for the

average Net user.


I would be interested to see user patterns eg: how many users go online

at weekends at for how long on average.  No doubt BT has worked this is

all out and that's why they are offering the 0800 access.


Also, given the BT still wishes to promote and offer BT Internet, it is

an ideal way to keep their existing customers and grab a few more in the

process.


At the end of the day, there is no such thing as a free lunch and indeed

free calls and somewhere down the line you are paying for it!

 

Leslie

____________________________________________________

Leslie Bunder 

Project Manager,  TDL InfoSpace

e-mail:

Leslie [dot] Bunderinfospaceuk [dot] com

 (work) or

lesliebunder [dot] com

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Web:  www.infospace.co.uk

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>----------

>

From: Rick Sareen[SMTP:rickmedia21 [dot] co [dot] uk]

>Sent: 	15 June 1999 14:45

>

To: uk-netmarketingchinwag [dot] com

>Subject: 	Re: UKNM: The 'free' in free ISP now a commodity

>

>At 11:10 am +0000 15/6/99, Sam Michel wrote:

>

>>So, surely any company who is taking customer retention, loyalty, and

>>direct/database marketing seriously should be creating their own ISP?

>>

>>...or will the whole business model just disappear to the realms of big

>>telcos...the early entrants aside? Is there any space left in the free ISP

>>space for the new kids on the block? Aren't they wasting their time?

>

>You'd have thought so, but as is looking increasingly likely, if we get

>unmetered xDSL for , oooh  say �40 pm from Q4 '99, then the telco connect

>charge income will disappear for these folks and they will only have ad

>revenue to keep them afloat.

>

>Now as my partner Nick says (far too often), money follows audience. So I

>am beginning to think that Freeserve have spotted this and subscriber base

>is now the critical factor for them and thus the advertising to build

>customers. Notice the vertical markets they are attacking: they are going

>for depth and breadth. I predict (no dinner, sorry) that there will be a

>shake out in the market when this happens , starting with the 0800 offers

>(which are just a clever form of cross subsidy against the peak time

>users).

>

>But then, why are BT making 0800 services available??  Any conspiracy

>theorists got any ideas?

>

>--

>Rick Sareen

>40-42 Scrutton Street,  London, EC2A 4QL

>T: 0171 377 6122  M: 0958 584 181  ICQ:34617844

>

rickmedia21 [dot] co [dot] uk (mailto:rickmedia21 [dot] co [dot] uk)

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>Media21 is hiring.If online media is for you, you might be for us.

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>===============================================

>The ant does not fear the octopus.

>http://www.unmetered.org.uk


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