LineOne wins £12 million boost

LineOne has received a £12 million shot in the arm to help rejuvenate its fortunes after spending the last couple of months on the doldrums. News of the cash injection coincided with the announcement that one of the triumvirate that headed the UK operation, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, had been bought out by fellow investors United News & Media and BT. The investment is going to be used to develop new content and provide a platform for other UK companies to offer Internet services. Since launching subscription-free Internet access two weeks ago, LineOne claims to have boosted its membership above 150,000 and is attracting 10,000 new users every week. "This renewed investment by BT and United News & Media is a significant commitment to get behind the success of the LineOne service," said John Swingewood, BT's director of Internet and multimedia services. "Since going free, LineOne is attracting a high rate of new users who are attracted by the UK-focused, premium content," he added. ®