AT&T; Opening Access to Cable Lines to Internet Service Providers in Test

AT&T; Corp. is giving 320 customers in Boulder, Colo., a choice of four Internet service providers, the first of two planned trials to open AT&T; cable lines without government intervention, an AT&T; attorney said.

EarthLink Inc., Juno Online Services Inc., AT&T-owned; WorldNet and Excite@Home are connecting people to the Internet over AT&T;’s cable system, said Maria Arias, corporate counsel for AT&T; Broadband, at a conference of state regulators. The company hopes successful private-sector efforts will show that the government need not intervene, as has been proposed in Texas and Illinois.

AT&T; wants the government to let companies negotiate agreements for leasing cable lines to ISPs. Federal regulators and some state lawmakers are weighing whether rules are needed to require cable companies to give fair access to their systems.