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The Irish Times reports that Esat Fusion is cutting off approximately 2,000 customers who use its "IOL No Limits" Internet service because the company has deemed them to be using the service too much. Esat sent letters to selected customers - which it judged to be using the Internet "excessively" - last Friday and advised them their contracts would be terminated within 31 days. The company will continue to monitor the Internet use of its remaining 18,000 No Limits customers for overuse and may cancel the No limits product altogether. Dereck Kickam, chief executive of Esat Fusion, said the customers who would be disconnected were chosen on the basis of overall usage. Customers who spent in excess of 75-100 hours a week would be affected, he added. It is understood several customers have threatened Esat with legal action over the withdrawal of service. However, Kickam claimed the company was fully within its rights to cancel the contracts.
The same paper also reports that telecoms regulator, Etain Doyle, has told Eircom to open its local access network to competitors for EUR13.53 per month well short of the EUR32.50 the price Eircom had originally proposed. However, Monday night Eircom rejected the pricing. It is understood the company may lodge a legal challenge to the directive within the next few days. In the decision notice, Doyle strongly criticised Eircom's lack of co-operation in the unbundling process and noted that the company had failed to supply all relevant information. In addition to the monthly charges for line rental, the directive sets out a full list of fees associated with the unbundling process.
The Irish Independent reports that the management of banking software company Flexicom has paid just IEP1 to buy back the 30 percent of the company for which Eircom paid IEP6.5 million less than 18 months ago. The Irish Independent has learned that Flexicom directors Pat Shiel and John Clarke have bought back the Eircom stake for almost nothing. It is understood that Eircom has retained the right to a 10 percent share of the proceeds if Flexicom is sold within 12 months.
The same paper also reports that NTL is in early stage talks with AOL/Time Warner, about a possible partnership in Europe, bartering NTL broadband network for AOL's content.
The Irish Examiner reports that Imagine's 20,000 subscribers are waiting on a decision from the mobile operator on what will happen to their numbers. Cellular 3 is thought to be in discussions with bot Eircell and Meteor. If customers move to Eircell, they are likely to keep their numbers and accounts, however a move to Meteor would entail a number/phone change. Part of the problem for Imagine in selling on its customers base is that Meteor have only 55 percent network coverage at present, while Imagine's phones are Eircell handsets with Eircell SIM cards. A decision on how many customers pass on to Eircell is expected within days, with money raised to be lodged with the Supreme Court.
The Financial Times reports that Internet service providers are lobbying the UK government to amend the tobacco advertising bill, which they believe sets a dangerous precedent by treating them as publishers, rather than simply conduits for information. The Internet Service Providers' Association will argue before UK ministers next week that the bill contradicts European regulations and could create a framework for making providers liable for content accessed by their customers via the Internet.
The same paper also reports that US software company, Computer Associates, has denied a media report that it used "tricky" accounting practices to inflate revenue figures. Sanjay Kumar, CA's chief executive, on Monday morning held a conference call in which he denied a report in the New York Times that accused the company of using accounting tricks to "systematically overstate its revenue and profits for years".
The Wall Street Journal reports that BT is in talks to sell its 20 percent stake in Japan Telecom together with its interest in J-Phone to British mobile-phone operator Vodafone for more than USD4 billion, people familiar with the situation said. The discussions come as BT is also holding talks to sell its stake in Airtel Moviles SA, the Spanish mobile-phone operator, to Vodafone, which controls Airtel. Both deals could be announced as early this week when BT unveils a proposal designed to restore investor confidence in the flagging phone company.
The same paper also reports that Excite At Home told employees is to cut another 380 jobs, or 13 percent of its work force. According to an internal memo, the cuts will occur in all business units, although certain unspecified business units "are impacted more heavily." The move will reduce total work force to about 2,470.
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