Yahoo, SBC DSL officially debuts

The launch, previously reported by News.com, includes a customizable browser, personal homepages, spam filters, parental controls and e-mail.

Consumers will also get to choose a premium service that include online storage, bill payment and an Encyclopedia Britannica subscription.

The service is available now in SBC's 13-state region. The service comes in three price ranges, based on the speed. Basic service, ordinarily available for $42.95 per month, will be $29.95 per month for the first six months. That offers connection speeds of up to 384kbps.

The next level of service, at $49.95 per month, will also be offered for $29.95 per month for the first six months. It offers connection speeds of up to 384kbps to 1.5mbps.

The deluxe offering will cost $59.95 per month, and will be discounted to $39.95 a month for the first six months. It offers connection speeds of up to 768kbps to 1.5mbps.

With the new service, Yahoo is taking on rivals America Online and Microsoft, which both combine content and broadband access. Yahoo has been talking about an offering like this for a while, and Wall Street has been anxiously awaiting the results.

SBC and Yahoo signed a deal last year to offer high-speed service combined with content.

"We expect to continue innovating and adding new features, thus offering users an ever-expanding, engaging and useful broadband experiences,” said Yahoo CEO Terry Semel in a release.

SBC will allow its existing DSL customers to switch to the co-branded service later this fall and keep their existing e-mail addresses. The companies also plan to offer a version of the service customized for businesses in 2003, although a higher-speed service with multiple static IP addresses is currently available for heavy Internet users and businesses.