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EarthLink Internet Service

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, EarthLink is a publicly traded ISP, which offers internet access to about 5.3 million households in the United States, giving it an overall market share of 5.8%.

EarthLink was founded in 1994 as a dialup provider, and grew rapidly for the next several years. It acquired MindSpring in 2000, making it the second largest ISP in America. It has since branched out into broadband with limited success, reselling cable and DSL internet offerings, but the majority of EarthLink's customers still access the net over a dialup connection.

As the dialup business dwindles, however, and customers increasingly migrate to high-speed alternatives, EarthLink is struggling to find a unique and profitable niche in the highly competitive world of broadband.

The company has recently won contracts to build citywide mesh wireless networks in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and a number of smaller cities. It is now hoping to re-invent itself as a wireless ISP, providing service to mobility-minded customers in densely populated areas.