EarthLink Introduces Wireless E-Mail

EarthLink Network has followed in the steps of America Online and Yahoo and kicked off its wireless e-mail service, offering a package of hardware from Research In Motion and unlimited airtime.

EarthLink says in a statement that the package marks the start of its EarthLink Everywhere service, which is designed to provide subscribers with Internet access "no matter where they are--through both wired and wireless devices and appliances."

EarthLink will charge subscribers $39.95 per month for unlimited airtime over the BellSouth wireless data network and $399 for pagers from RIM. EarthLink will also offer users a larger, personal digital assistant-type device from RIM for $499.

Wireless Competition Grows

Elliott Hamilton, an analyst at Strategis Group in Washington, says Earthlink's entry into the wireless market indicates "that whether you are an ISP or a content provider, you must have a wireless play. And the RIM Blackberry [pager] is popular and successful." Wireless e-mail services provide greater utility for corporate users, Hamilton says, since office e-mail can be easily forwarded to the Blackberry.

AOL launched its AOL Mobile Communicator service in November. It provides e-mail and instant messaging to users of an AOL-branded RIM pager. AOL will sell pagers for $329.95 and will charge $19.95 per month for the service, which also operates over the BellSouth packet data network. AOL kicked off its instant messaging service on the Sprint PCS network in October. (See "Wireless Push to Take AOL Everywhere.")

Yahoo started offering e-mail and instant messaging service to RIM pager users earlier last month over a wireless data network operated by Motient. The Yahoo/Motient service charges $344 for the pager and $34.95 per month for airtime. (See "BlackBerry-Flavored Yahoo on the Way.")