Time Warner Cable Inc plans to deploy its LineRunner on-line cable service in Akron, Ohio, in the second half of the year. The service has been on trial in Elmira, New York since July last year to 250 homes through the home personal computer. Content offered will include a mix of local and national material, including an electronic local newspaper, electronic mail and World Wide Web sites of local interest. Time Warner will use the Hewlett-Packard Co Broadband Internet Delivery System both in Akron and in multiple other sites over the next year, although these have not yet been finalized. The service is a joint venture between Time Warner Cable and Time Inc, which will be providing content for the service. In addition, Motorola is providing modems for the service. Subscribers will be charged around $40 a month for the service, including the modem, even though the trialists were only charged $25 a month. $40 a month is the amount of value trialists said the service provided, Time Warner Cable said. The LineRunner service is not related to the Full Service Network interactive television trial in Orlando, Florida. High-speed access Ultimately the two services could operate together, with households subscribing to both services, the firm said. Comcast Cable Communications Inc will also deploy the Hewlett-Packard Broadband Internet Delivery System to its customers in up to five communities by the year end. The servers will bring high-speed access to the Internet, interactive services and on-line content to Comcast customers through their home personal computers. The system will enable us to provide customers with access to local library materials and city council meetings and Internet applications, such as high-speed access to popular Web sites and chat rooms, said Steven Craddock, vice-president, new media development, for Comcast. Comcast will offer service in Baltimore County, Maryland next quarter. During the next 12 months, it expects 10,000 Baltimore County cable subscribers to sign up for broadband Internet access for their personal computers.
