LineOne
Encyclopedia
LineOne was an Internet Service Provider
in the United Kingdom
in the 1990s. LineOne was a joint venture of News International
, United News & Media
and British Telecom. It then became the UK branch of Tiscali
, which is now TalkTalk
.
As of September 2011, the "lineone.net" domain is still active for email (username@lineone.net) and website hosting (website.lineone.net/specific site).
and British Telecom, it was known as Springboard Internet Services and previously to that Delphi
. This is not to be confused with the company known as Delphi in the United States.
In 1998, United News & Media
bought a 33% stake in the company for an undisclosed sum.
LineOne offered customers 0845 (Local Rate) access to the Internet (which required a monthly subscription) as well as offering e-mail and web hosting services, which were included in the subscription fee.
Freeserve
launched in 1998, and was the first major ISP to offer a subscription free dialup service that only charged the standard per minute local call rate for access. LineOne was forced to follow suit with the same service to stem the flow of dialup customers and pressured BT into providing the infrastructure, which it did so and at considerable expense to LineOne.
sold its shares in LineOne as it was concentrating on its own internet services, making British Telecom and United News & Media
each 50% owners of LineOne. LineOne moved its offices to Blackfriar's Bridge from the offices they once occupied next to News International's printworks on the Isle of Dogs. Ajay Chowdhury from United News & Media took over as CEO of LineOne and together with a new team including Mary Turner from AOL and Andy Harwood built LineOne into one of the largest ISP's and most trafficked portals in the UK. Chowdhury left in 2000 to set up NBC Internet Europe and Mary Turner was appointed the General Manager of LineOne.
LineOne was then put up for sale after it became obvious that everyone involved was not going to make the hundreds of millions of pounds that LineOne was originally valued at in the middle of the Dot-com bubble
and it was bought by Italian Telecommunications giant Tiscali
on April 26, 2001 for GBP £62,000,000 (EUR €100,000,000).
It was rumoured that before this sale, another large Telecommunications giant had offered three to four times as much a year earlier and that by holding out for more money, the LineOne management missed the boat.
At the time of acquisition, LineOne had 1.85 Million Subscribers, though the number of active users was probably around the 800,000 mark at the time.
In June 2009, The UK operations of Tiscali
were sold to TalkTalk
, part of The Carphone Warehouse
plc. The lineone point of presence
continues to be served by this company. The acquisition was completed on 6 July 2009.
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1990s. LineOne was a joint venture of News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
, United News & Media
United Business Media
UBM plc is a magazine publisher, news distributor and events organiser providing business information services principally to the technology, healthcare, media, automotive and financial services industries...
and British Telecom. It then became the UK branch of Tiscali
Tiscali SpA
Tiscali s.p.a. is an Italian telecommunications company, based in Cagliari, Sardinia, that provides internet and telecommunications services to its domestic market...
, which is now TalkTalk
TalkTalk
TalkTalk is a pay television, telecommunications and internet service provider company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
.
As of September 2011, the "lineone.net" domain is still active for email (username@lineone.net) and website hosting (website.lineone.net/specific site).
History
Before LineOne was launched in 1997 as a joint venture between News InternationalNews International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
and British Telecom, it was known as Springboard Internet Services and previously to that Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
. This is not to be confused with the company known as Delphi in the United States.
In 1998, United News & Media
United Business Media
UBM plc is a magazine publisher, news distributor and events organiser providing business information services principally to the technology, healthcare, media, automotive and financial services industries...
bought a 33% stake in the company for an undisclosed sum.
LineOne offered customers 0845 (Local Rate) access to the Internet (which required a monthly subscription) as well as offering e-mail and web hosting services, which were included in the subscription fee.
Freeserve
Freeserve
Freeserve was a British Internet Service Provider, founded in 1998. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged into the Wanadoo group in 2000, itself a subsidiary of France Telecom...
launched in 1998, and was the first major ISP to offer a subscription free dialup service that only charged the standard per minute local call rate for access. LineOne was forced to follow suit with the same service to stem the flow of dialup customers and pressured BT into providing the infrastructure, which it did so and at considerable expense to LineOne.
From LineOne to Tiscali
In March 1999, News InternationalNews International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
sold its shares in LineOne as it was concentrating on its own internet services, making British Telecom and United News & Media
United Business Media
UBM plc is a magazine publisher, news distributor and events organiser providing business information services principally to the technology, healthcare, media, automotive and financial services industries...
each 50% owners of LineOne. LineOne moved its offices to Blackfriar's Bridge from the offices they once occupied next to News International's printworks on the Isle of Dogs. Ajay Chowdhury from United News & Media took over as CEO of LineOne and together with a new team including Mary Turner from AOL and Andy Harwood built LineOne into one of the largest ISP's and most trafficked portals in the UK. Chowdhury left in 2000 to set up NBC Internet Europe and Mary Turner was appointed the General Manager of LineOne.
LineOne was then put up for sale after it became obvious that everyone involved was not going to make the hundreds of millions of pounds that LineOne was originally valued at in the middle of the Dot-com bubble
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
and it was bought by Italian Telecommunications giant Tiscali
Tiscali SpA
Tiscali s.p.a. is an Italian telecommunications company, based in Cagliari, Sardinia, that provides internet and telecommunications services to its domestic market...
on April 26, 2001 for GBP £62,000,000 (EUR €100,000,000).
It was rumoured that before this sale, another large Telecommunications giant had offered three to four times as much a year earlier and that by holding out for more money, the LineOne management missed the boat.
At the time of acquisition, LineOne had 1.85 Million Subscribers, though the number of active users was probably around the 800,000 mark at the time.
In June 2009, The UK operations of Tiscali
Tiscali SpA
Tiscali s.p.a. is an Italian telecommunications company, based in Cagliari, Sardinia, that provides internet and telecommunications services to its domestic market...
were sold to TalkTalk
TalkTalk
TalkTalk is a pay television, telecommunications and internet service provider company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
, part of The Carphone Warehouse
The Carphone Warehouse
Carphone Warehouse Group PLC , known as The Carphone Warehouse, is Europe's largest independent mobile phone retailer, with over 1,700 stores across Europe. It is based in the United Kingdom and is a 50% subsidiary of Best Buy...
plc. The lineone point of presence
Point of presence
A point of presence is an artificial demarcation point or interface point between communications entities. It may include a meet-me-room.In the US, this term became important during the court-ordered breakup of the Bell Telephone system...
continues to be served by this company. The acquisition was completed on 6 July 2009.
External links
- Review of lineone.net at robtex.com , accessed February 2010.