SingNet, Freei.Net plan free services

SingNet, Freei.Net plan free services

SINGAPORE (AFP): Leading Singapore and U.S. Internet service providers launched a strategic alliance Monday to develop free Internet services in the Asia-Pacific region.

SingNet, a unit of giant Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel), and Freei.Net Asia Pacific, Inc., the regional unit of the fifth largest Internet service provider in the United States, said they would generate revenue from on-line advertising, sponsorship and other activities on the worldwide web.

Their first service began Monday in Singapore with the launch of Zapsurf Freei, which will power the free Internet service offered by SingTel to its 1.82 million fixed phone line customers.

Under the alliance agreement, SingNet and Freei.Net Asia Pacific will use their technological strengths to develop free Internet businesses in the Asia-Pacific region, a SingTel statement said.

SingTel's multimedia chief Paul Chong said they hoped to leverage on each other's expertise.

Rod Hamlin, vice-president of business development for Freei.Net (USA), said SingTel was the ideal partner to help his company enter the untapped Asian markets.

"We believe this partnership will accelerate the pace of Internet penetration and raise awareness of its benefits considerably," he said.

Alex Wong, President of Kuala Lumpur-based Freei.Net Asia- Pacific. Inc., said the long term prospects for Internet advertising revenue in the region were "phenomenal" and added that U.S. technology would bring targeted Internet advertising to the forefront of e-commerce promotional media.

"These are exciting times. It's going to be a lot of fun," Wong said.