AOL7 will kick off trials of its new broadband service in "a matter of weeks," with a view to providing the service commercially by 2003, its chief executive officer said.
Amanda Lacaze, CEO of AOL7 - a joint venture between AOL Time Warner, Seven Network and AAPT - told ZDNet Australia that its Australian customers were anxious to secure the service quality made available through broadband technologies. Launch of the trial is scheduled shortly after AOL launches its broadband offering on a full commercial basis in the United States.
Lacaze declined to reveal pricing structures for the broadband service, saying they were still being worked out, but confirmed there would be limits on download volumes included in set pricing packages. "As with mobile phone plans we expect that the pricing will include a combination of included use, by either time or downloads, and then some sort of usage-based charging."
"Broadband will really unlock the value of a lot of the content assets we have within our group," said Lacaze, citing popular satirists Roy and HG as an example of in-demand content. Lacaze added that AOL7 would be sharing its content with the US and other countries. .
In America AOL will release version 8.0 of its Internet service next month. AOL's broadband head Lisa Hook said the new version will feature full-motion video on the welcome screen greeting AOL users connecting through broadband.
The service will also have CD-quality sound and programs like "Broadband Rocks", a TV-like show with behind-the-scenes concert footage. It will also let members swap music and photos, after finding file-sharing to be popular feature among broadband users.
"We have realized broadband can be a differentiated product, and we can exploit the technology by looking at it as a different medium" than TV, Hook said in an interview. "What we are going to be launching with 8.0 is really just the beginning of the day of a longer-term plan."
While version 8.0 does cater more to high-speed users than in the past, GartnerG2 media research director Denise Garcia said, "They are keeping up with everyone else, but I don't think they are blazing the trail."
AOL head Jon Miller said in a recent interview that no one has yet found the "killer" application that will convince droves of people to switch to broadband.
"The worst thing you can do is decide that you know. The best thing you can do is intelligently explore the potential of having that kind of high-speed connection. If you do that in smart ways--taking some of the learning that exists already--that's where your best shot lies," Miller said.
Reuters contributed to this story
sigh..
like its dialup up snafu bomb them with cds, I hope this means we dont see same waste of space from ArmyOfLosers.
I also hope they set a new trend in pricing thats more then tel$tras cash register trough style.
but time will tell if .au will ever have real broadband quality at a small flat rate, despite the spindoctors reasons..