EarthLink Shacks Up with RadioShack

EarthLink Inc. announced Monday that it will offer its high-speed and dial-up Internet service through more than 5,000 RadioShack Corp. stores throughout the country.

"EarthLink High Speed Internet" service will be available to customers in nearly 4,000 of the outlets that will be carrying EarthLink Internet products.

RadioShack will also sell EarthLink's dial-up Internet service, featuring "EarthLink Accelerator," which enables customers to surf the Web up to five times faster than conventional dial-up services at no additional cost.

EarthLink will be the sole dial-up Internet-service provider offered in RadioShack stores.

The deal will also include in-store merchandising of EarthLink products, employee training and EarthLink promotional activity.

In addition, the two companies will explore the development of new opportunities, such as wireless Internet services.

In other EarthLink news, the ISP said Monday that it will expand availability of its "Small Office" digital-subscriber-line product from 16 to 81 markets.

EarthLink uses Covad Communications Group Inc.’s nationwide high-speed network for Small Office.

Among the cities to be included in the nationwide expansion are Philadelphia; Baltimore; Charlotte, N.C.; Orlando, Fla.; Kansas City; Minneapolis; New Orleans; San Diego; Portland, Ore.; San Antonio; and Salt Lake City.