How much Internet access do the major on-line services offer their subscribers? Delphi and BIX led the way in providing an array of options, but the other services are starting to catch up.
America Online ((703) 448-8700) provides E-mail, Usenet, WAIS (Wide Area Information Service) and gopher access. No charge. (At press time, America Online was in beta testing of its Internet access services.)
BIX ((617) 491-3393) offers a range of Internet services, including E-mail, ftp and archie, gopher, telnet, and Usenet access. The first 10 MB of Internet mail each month is free; a $1 per 100 MB surcharge may be added for high-volume accounts, at BIX's discretion.
CompuServe ((614) 457-8600) has E-mail access via gateway. Standard rates to read, download, or send Internet messages are 15 cents for the first 7500 charac
ters and 5 cents for each additional block of 2500 characters. CompuServe plans to add additional Internet access services throughout the year.
Delphi ((617) 491-3393) offers full access to Internet services, including E-mail, IRC (Internet Relay Chat), news groups, gopher, tel-net, ftp, and gateway access to popular Internet utilities like archie, WAIS, WWW (World Wide Web), and veronica. Access is $3 per month over standard connect rates.
GEnie ((301) 251-6415) has E-mail access via gateway. No charge.
Prodigy ((914) 448-8000) has E-mail access via gateway. (It also offers access to another on-line service, the Imagination Network, through its GamePoint gateway.) Prodigy charges 10 cents for each Internet message sent or received.
On-Line Access to the Internet
