Mirror Group free ISP strikes deal with BOC

The Mirror Group’s free Internet access service ic24, launched earlier this month, has announced its first e-commerce partnership – with Bertelsmann-backed online bookseller BOL.

BOL, which has already secured distribution deals with rival free ISP Freeserve and the Guardian Website, will offer targeted book deals to ic24 users during the two-year deal.

The deal follows a similar e-commerce partnership secured by BOL with the News International-backed CurrantBun.com ISP service – based on The Sun newspaper – which was announced at the launch of the service.

It is unclear whether the BOL deal with ic24 also covers the expected roll-out of music and video sales services by BOL late this year.

BOL managing director Georges Auon says the deal with ic24 will extend its reach to “thousands of people who will never have shopped or surfed online”.