Somewhere along the way, someone stabbed a shiny pin into the balloon of Internet service providers as a growth industry.
Maybe it was when Time Warner
But you probably figured that it couldn't be a damaged sector. More people are online than ever before, and there is seemingly plenty of real estate left to cover. Shares of bargain access provider United Online
Now, if you're assuming that America Online's 2 million former subscribers have made the cost-conscious leap to such dial-up offerings as United Online's, where does that leave EarthLink
EarthLink has always been a heady competitor, even as everyone from Microsoft
It should, therefore, come as no surprise to see EarthLink growing. It is looking to add 175,000 net new subscribers in the current quarter. That's on the high end of a range that started as low as 100,000 new users -- and before tacking on an additional 50,000 subscribers in a recent acquisition.
The company expects to be slightly ahead of breakeven for the quarter, and it's looking to build on that profitability in the coming year. With more than 5 million paying subscribers for its dial-up and broadband services and a stock price that has doubled off its February lows, EarthLink seems to be connecting more than just its users.
With United Online and EarthLink growing, how will AOL get its groove back? What's so optimized about version 9.0 of the company's software? All this and more -- in the Time Warner discussion board. Only on Fool.com.