Earthlink Company

Southern California Edison Co. is taking a first step toward supporting municipal wireless Internet networks after holding up such projects in cities throughout the region for more than 18 months. The state's second-largest power utility has agreed to let EarthLink Inc. build a small network using Edison streetlights in Santa Ana as part of a wider-ranging trial of wireless gear. "This is long overdue," said Esme Vos of MuniWireless.com, an authority on such high-speed wireless projects.

EarthLink Inc., a major booster of blanketing cities with wireless Internet service, said Friday that it would consider "strategic alternatives" for that business. After a review, the company "decided that making significant further investments in this business could be inconsistent with our objective of maximizing shareholder value," Chief Executive Rolla P. Huff said. The company said it was looking at "strategic alternatives" for the business but did not disclose what those might be.

Internet service provider EarthLink Inc. said Thursday that it had agreed to provide broadband voice and data communications company Covad Communications Group Inc. with $50 million in debt and equity financing to fund the expansion of its voice services to eight new markets. In exchange for the financing, Atlanta-based EarthLink will receive $10 million in Covad common shares and $40 million in convertible debt due in 2011. Covad's shares climbed 2 cents to $1.67.

Financially struggling EarthLink Inc. on Wednesday bowed out of a deal to join Google Inc. in providing free wireless Internet access throughout San Francisco, according to the mayor's office. EarthLink Chief Executive Rolla Huff told Mayor Gavin Newsom during a phone call that "they were not going to be able to fulfill their end of the bargain," said Nathan Ballard, Newsom's spokesman. "Mr. Huff made it clear it wasn't going to happen with EarthLink; they are getting out of the Wi-Fi business."

In a move to preserve what's left of Reed E. Slatkin's crumbling financial empire, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Wednesday named veteran forensic accountant and former FBI agent R. Todd Neilson as trustee for Slatkin's Chapter 11 case. Regulators and investors had pressed for the emergency appointment after the FBI and Internal Revenue Service raided Slatkin's offices and the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a court order freezing his assets Friday.

Technology sector companies reporting earnings, excluding one-time gains or charges unless noted, include: * AvantGo Inc. said its fourth-quarter loss widened to $10.6 million, or 35 cents a share, from $2.9 million, or 18 cents, but the performance was far better than the 42-cent loss analysts expected. Revenue climbed to $6.6 million from $1 million. AvantGo also said it expects losses in the first quarter and full year to be narrower than analyst forecasts. * DataStream Systems Inc.

* EarthLink Inc. plans to offer its subscribers software to block Internet pop-up advertisements. The Atlanta-based Internet service provider also will block so-called pop-under ads. Shares rose 56 cents to $6.63 on Nasdaq. * Cingular Wireless, the second-biggest U.S. mobile-telephone company, will let users nationwide keep unused monthly minutes. The joint venture of SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. is the first U.S. mobile-phone service to offer a national rollover plan.

EarthLink Inc., the third-largest U.S. Internet service provider, agreed to buy PeoplePC Inc., a provider of discount Internet connections, to add subscribers. EarthLink agreed to pay 1.71 cents for each PeoplePC share, which would be about $10 million. That's less than PeoplePC's closing price Friday of 10 cents. EarthLink also would assume about $35 million in liabilities. Shares of Atlanta-based EarthLink fell 15 cents to $6.

EarthLink Inc. said Thursday that its net loss narrowed substantially in the third quarter as a surge in sales of high-speed Internet access offset declining sales of slower dial-up service. The No. 3 Internet service provider said cost controls also helped pare its net loss to $30.1 million, or 20 cents a share, from a loss of $84.4 million, or 62 cents, a year earlier. Revenue in the three months ended Sept. 30 rose 7% to $340.7 million from $319 million.

EarthLink Inc. and Google Inc. have finalized a four-year deal to provide free wireless Internet service throughout San Francisco after seven months of sometimes-tense negotiations that stalled the city's effort to ensure all its residents, visitors and businesses have easy access to the Web. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed off on the contract Friday, but the details still require the approval of the city's Board of Supervisors and Public Utilities Commission.

Internet service provider EarthLink Inc. said Tuesday that it would cut 900 jobs -- or nearly half its workforce -- and close four offices in an effort to reduce operating costs. The company, founded 13 years ago in Los Angeles' Los Feliz neighborhood by entrepreneur Sky Dayton, saw its shares climb 7% on the news. EarthLink continues struggling to generate revenue as dial-up access customers turn to high-speed alternatives from cable and phone companies.

Southern California Edison Co. is taking a first step toward supporting municipal wireless Internet networks after holding up such projects in cities throughout the region for more than 18 months. The state's second-largest power utility has agreed to let EarthLink Inc. build a small network using Edison streetlights in Santa Ana as part of a wider-ranging trial of wireless gear. "This is long overdue," said Esme Vos of MuniWireless.com, an authority on such high-speed wireless projects.

EarthLink Inc. and Google Inc. have finalized a four-year deal to provide free wireless Internet service throughout San Francisco after seven months of sometimes-tense negotiations that stalled the city's effort to ensure all its residents, visitors and businesses have easy access to the Web. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed off on the contract Friday, but the details still require the approval of the city's Board of Supervisors and Public Utilities Commission.

Internet service provider EarthLink Inc. expects to launch its first municipal wireless system today, with high-speed connections in six square miles of downtown Anaheim. The Orange County city is key to EarthLink's strategy as it adapts to changing online habits and the evaporation of its dial-up business. Anaheim is the biggest city so far to embrace a nationwide trend of creating citywide wireless Internet access for residents and businesses.

Google Inc.'s bid to blanket San Francisco with a free wireless Internet service cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when a city panel identified the Internet search engine leader and EarthLink Inc. as the best candidates to complete the ambitious project. The recommendation, completing a six-week review, clears the way for the city to begin final negotiations with Google and EarthLink, which decided to work together this year after initially bidding against each other.

Internet service provider EarthLink Inc. said Thursday that it had agreed to provide broadband voice and data communications company Covad Communications Group Inc. with $50 million in debt and equity financing to fund the expansion of its voice services to eight new markets. In exchange for the financing, Atlanta-based EarthLink will receive $10 million in Covad common shares and $40 million in convertible debt due in 2011. Covad's shares climbed 2 cents to $1.67.

EarthLink Inc., the No. 4 U.S. Internet access provider, said fourth-quarter profit declined 18% as it lost dial-up customers to rivals. Net income declined to $29.2 million, or 22 cents a share, from $35.6 million, or 23 cents, a year earlier. Sales fell 7.5% to $312.6 million, Atlanta-based EarthLink said. EarthLink shares fell 17 cents to $11.11.

Google Inc.'s bid to blanket San Francisco with a free wireless Internet service cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when a city panel identified the Internet search engine leader and EarthLink Inc. as the best candidates to complete the ambitious project. The recommendation, completing a six-week review, clears the way for the city to begin final negotiations with Google and EarthLink, which decided to work together this year after initially bidding against each other.

Google Inc. and EarthLink Inc. submitted a joint bid to offer free wireless Internet access in San Francisco, a venture that might spark new competition for Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. Under the proposal, Google would provide a free service sponsored by advertising and EarthLink would offer a paid service with higher access speeds, Donald Berryman, president of EarthLink's municipal networks unit, said. The bid was one of six offered to the city by Internet access providers.

EarthLink Inc. said Monday that it would offer DirecTV satellite television service in a bundled option in select markets across the United States. The Atlanta-based Internet service provider said the offer would begin by the end of the first quarter. It did not say in which markets the option would be available or offer any pricing details. Atlanta-based BellSouth Corp., the dominant local telephone provider in nine southeastern states, also has a partnership with DirecTV Inc.