ISP encourages subscribers to try out rival's free services

Pacific Internet's statement was made yesterday in a special web bulletin that the company distributed to its subscriber base.

To facilitate the exchange of information and personal experience on the new StarHub service, Pacific Internet has set up a special chat forum on its homepage for its subscribers. The company has also provided hyperlinks to news articles on ISPs providing free access so as to give subscribers a better perspective on the new service.

Said Pacific Internet’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nicholas Lee: "We think StarHub’s free service will actually be a boost to our newly launched Pacfusion.com portal and e-Commerce web site."

Pacific Internet’s 13-hour, 32-hour and Unlimited Access plans offer 5 megabytes of email space, international roaming and 24 hour x 7 day technical support. In contrast, StarHub’s free Internet plan does not include an email account, international roaming facilities and technical support.

Said Mr. Lee: "We believe that even more users from other ISPs will exploit StarHub’s free access to visit our Pacfusion.com portal. In addition, our users’ email ID is their online personal identity, like their fingerprint. They would not want to go through the hassle of having to inform everyone about a new email address."

Pacific Internet has been preparing to launch new, strategic services which will bring more benefits to its users than StarHub’s offering. The company will be making some announcements in the next few weeks, including across-the-board reductions in the prices of its various access plans.