Southland firm blazes trail into cyberspace.

Internet provider highlights items of local interest

EarthLink Network Inc., the year-old Internet company run by a 23-year-old entrepreneur, has introduced a new service for the worldwide computer network geared to Southlanders.

Called EarthLink TotalAccess Southern California, the system provides entry to the Internet with a special feature that highlights information about the Southland.

By next year, the company expects the new service will produce annual revenues in excess of $20 million, said Sky Dayton, the founder and president of Earth-Link, headquartered in Atwater Village.

Dayton started EarthLink a year ago with two employees.

The business is a private company and therefore is not required to release financial information, but Dayton said revenues are now in excess of $1 million a year.

EarthLink Network Inc. boasts that it is the largest provider of services to access the entire Internet of any company based in Southern California. "This is a product that will definitely push us up to the next level," said Dayton.

Services differ

In addition to the Internet access service that is geared to Southern California users, there is a EarthLink Network TotalAccess USA 800. The difference between the two products is that TotalAccess USA 800 is available to anyone in the United States through an 800 telephone connection to EarthLink. TotalAccess Southern California is available to area residents through local phone calls to EarthLink.

In addition to access to the complete Internet network, the local version also offers information on the region. For instance, local users can get information on area businesses, sports, the weather and movie listings.

EarthLink makes money off its new services through service fees and billing time on the Internet. The charges for TotalAccess USA are a flat rate of $24.95 a month, with five free hours, and then $4.95 an hour.

For TotalAccess Southern California, the charge is $19.95 a month, 450 free hours and then a charge of $4.95 an hour. Both services include a one-time set up charge of $25.

"There are a lot of companies out there providing access but the difference between us and them is that we are really concentrating on Southern California. That's our market right now," said Dayton.

EarthLink Network has been promoting its new Internet access products by giving away computer software needed for the service. The software is available in NetGuide, a magazine about the Internet, and by contacting EarthLink Network.

The company has also been passing out the software at trade shows.

The company says it plans to distribute 500,000 copies of the software by the end of the year.

EarthLink Network Inc. also recently launched a program that gives businesses access to the Internet and allows them to establish a "web site," or address on the network. The program allows businesses to establish a web site on the Internet to advertise their products and services.

Other EarthLink Network Inc. products include a book and software on the Internet.