CWC Net offer takes on free ISPs…

Cable & Wireless Communications is hitting back at the free Internet access packages offered by Dixons and BT with three new flat-rate packages. Unlike those of rivals, each will include the cost of phone call time.

CWC’s service will be priced in three tiers and will launch in June.

The lowest use package costs 6.99 a month and offers 12 hours of Internet access – including telephone call charges – if the connection calls are made in the evening or at the weekend. If the Internet connection calls are made in the day, the user will receive less than 12 hours due to peaktime calling costs.

The highest use package is believed to offer 75 hours of connection and call charges.

Dixon’s Freeserve, BT’s ClickFree, TescoNet and The Sun newspaper’s CurrantBun, among others, do not charge customers for access to the Internet but rely on revenue from local telephone connections and calls to help desks.

CWC already has a pay-as-you-go core product, Internet Lite, for which users pay a one-off fee of 10 and are then charged depending on the amount of use.

The company has appointed Joshua – formerly Grey Integrated and Grey Direct – to its Internet advertising account ahead of the launch.

The agency pitched against incumbent USP and Birdog for the 1m account. Joshua already handles customer recruitment for Cable & Wireless’ telephone and cable TV services.

CWC’s agency Rapier created a direct response TV (DRTV) campaign for Internet Lite last October as a one-off project. It has not been decided whether Joshua will use DRTV.