SBC revises high-speed Internet prices

WASHINGTON - SBC Communications Inc. said onMonday it was revamping prices for its high-speed Internetservices, cutting most regular monthly rates to lure morecustomers onto higher-speed lines.

The moves come after SBC, the No. 2 U.S telecommunicationscompany, launched a $14.95-per-month promotion for its digitalsubscriber line service earlier this year, aiming to convertdial-up Internet users and grab more customers than cablecompetitors.

SBC said starting Tuesday, its basic high-speed Internetservice with download speeds of up to 1.5 megabits will sellfor $16.99 per month for the first six months. After sixmonths, SBC will charge $29.99 a month, down from its previouscharge of $49.95 per month after the first year of service.

For its higher grade service offering download speeds of upto 3 megabits per second, SBC cut its introductory price by $3to $21.99, and cut the regular monthly charge by $25 to $34.99.

The offers are available to new customers, and requireusers to buy SBC telephone service.

Cable high-speed Internet services from providers such asComcast Corp. typically run from $35 to 45 per month, but alsooffer faster downloads than DSL lines.

SBC added a record 528,000 DSL subscribers in the thirdquarter, bringing its total to 6.5 million. The companyconsiders DSL subscribers key to its plans to launchsubscription television services widely next year.

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