AT&T Likely to Change Open-Access Stance AT&T Likely to Change Open-Access Stance Paul Jones
In an about-face from its earlier strategy, AT&T Corp. now appears willing to open its cable lines to other Internet providers.
The New York Times reported late Sunday that AT&T planned to send a letter to federal regulators Monday promising to eventually allow other ISPs access to their cable infrastructure once AT&T's exclusive contract with Excite@Home expires in June 2002.
One ISP mentioned specifically in the letter is MindSpring Enterprises Inc. (MSPG), the nation's No. 2 Internet provider behind (AOL), which was not mentioned.
While the letter is a non-binding agreement, the mention of another ISP specifically does indicate AT&T is willing to establish pricing terms that its competitors seem willing to live with.
