NetZero

NetZero is an

Netzero bought FreeInet around 1998. FreeInet was the first free national internet service provider. NetZero was launched in October 1998, founded by

NetZero's most prominent advertising placement was as part of NetZero @ the Half for the NBA on NBC's halftime show in the early 2000s, replacing Prudential.

In late 1999 several other companies began to copy the NetZero free access model including

Starting in January 2001, NetZero began charging for access time over 40 hours per month. Users who exceeded 40 hours were directed to the company's "Platinum" service, which provided unlimited access for $9.95 per month. With the income statement reinvigorated through charging heavier users of the system, NetZero merged with its rival Juno Online Services and created a new holding company, United Online which traded on NASDAQ under the symbol UNTD until Netzero was acquired by B. Riley Financial in July 2016. NetZero later lowered the threshold for their free service to 10 hours per month.

In June 2005, the company released a new client that replaced the advertising bar with an

While continuing to provide nationwide dial-up access service (and DSL broadband service) in March 2012, NetZero launched a mobile broadband service for users who purchase their hardware, using the Clearwire network.^[5] It has since expanded the service across the nationwide Sprint 3G network, and also launched a home wireless broadband service which is intended to provide wireless access in the home or office. In 2013, it debuted NetZero DataShield, a personal virtual private network which encrypts and protects users’ data when they connect to the Internet via any WiFi connection, including public WiFi access points.^{[citation needed]} The company offers NetZero Hotspot.^[6]

See also