EarthLink Inc., the No. 4 U.S. Internet-access provider, will offer a bundled package of satellite television from the two largest services to help stem falling sales.
The service will start by the end of the first quarter and include DirecTV Group Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp.'s Dish Network, EarthLink said in a statement Monday.
EarthLink Chief Executive Officer Garry Betty wants to retain customers and win new ones by offering satellite TV. Dial-up Internet users have defected for high-speed products from competitors such as Comcast Corp. Profit fell 18 percent and sales dropped 7.5 percent in EarthLink's most recent quarter as 174,000 dial-up users left.
In addition to offering consumers new services such as Internet phone calling, Betty also is pitching cities including Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles on building wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, networks.
DirecTV is aiming to win more profitable customers and is offering more high-definition and premium-channel products. The company on Feb. 8 posted a profit that beat analysts estimates and said sales rose 7 percent.
Customers who choose the DirecTV bundle may be able to pay for television and Internet services on one bill, the companies said. Pricing for the TV services wasn't provided.