Excite@Home Says Its U.S. Service Could End

High-speed Internet access provider Excite@Home Corp., a former highflier that fell on hard times during the dot-com meltdown, said service could cease Friday for its 4.1 million U.S. subscribers if it fails to reach new agreements with cable companies that carry its service.

Representatives of the company will appear Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Francisco, where a judge will decide whether to have the service blocked if negotiations with cable companies fail, spokeswoman Stephanie Xavier said.

Xavier said many of the cable companies that carry Excite@Home have informed users that their service could cease after Friday.

“All I can say is we’re in active negotiations with the cable companies,” Xavier said. “We’re doing all that we can to maintain service.”