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France Telecom shafts French Net users

AOL hikes cost of unmetered access in France

AOL France is to increase the cost of its unmetered Net access from FFR 199 (£18) to FFR 327.98 (£30), according to newswire AFX.

The ISP has blamed France Telecom (FT) for forcing the rise claiming FT's new rates for wholesale unmetered Net access are 75 per cent higher than levels offered in the UK.

AOL France also claims that the new offering from France Telecom fails to cap costs - something that is essential if ISPs are to pass on the benefits of unmetered Net access.

The ISP also points out that while France Telecom is reluctant to budge on this issue, it's happy for its UK subsidiary, Le Freeswerve, to take advantage of flat-fee wholesale access in Britain.

In a statement AOL France said: "AOL France is disappointed that France Telecom (FT) has offered a halfway measure for wholesale Internet access that does not appear to be based on FT's actual costs, stands at levels 75 per cent higher than those offered in the UK, and still requires ISPs to pay metered rates on part of the network.

"In sum, the FT proposal is a bad deal for ISPs and a worse deal for French Internet consumers, both of whom had hoped FT would step forward and help create a wholesale rate that would spur the continued growth and usage of the Internet in France.

"We note that FT is taking advantage of wholesale rates in the UK to offer lower-cost flat rates through its Freeserve subsidiary - and saying it will do the same in the Netherlands - all while denying French consumers the same cost-based rates and the benefits that AOL members discovered under the unmetered plans AOL France offered last summer.

"We again call on France Telecom to offer truly cost-based, capacity-oriented wholesale rates at levels competitive with those offered in the UK, and to ensure that implementation delays do not prevent French Internet consumers from receiving affordable flat rates by October as promised," it said. ®

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