This month's Citynet newsletter contains important information about dial-up access rates, a host of improvements to your Citynet service, and special savings available through a new partnership. There's also an update for web site owners, and ways for IT managers to dramatically reduce their high-speed access costs.

        Effective with February billings, Citynet's basic dial-up access rate will become $16.95 for all customers. This will affect only those customers who have been paying between $12.95 and $14.95. If you are currently paying the $16.95 rate, you'll notice no changes on your bill.

        Yes, it's a price increase for some of our customers, and no one likes to raise prices. (In fact, Citynet has not had a price increase of any kind for more than four years.) But at this point, the additional revenue is necessary for us to continue to improve services and add new features specifically requested by our customers. Two of the most important are an immediate increase in the number of email addresses available for all Citynet customers, from four to 10, and new screening options that will dramatically reduce spam and help parents protect children using the Internet.

        Even with the price adjustment for some customers, Citynet continues to offer the lowest standard Internet access rates available in West Virginia. And we're more committed than ever to providing you with the best possible service, too.

        Effective in February, all Citynet dial-up customers will be entitled to an additional six email addresses -- from the previous level of four per account, to 10 addresses. Want to have an address dedicated exclusively to your business, or to family correspondence, or your online shopping? Now you can!

        Adding your new email addresses is easy -- use our convenient Account Manager available at http://www.citynet.net, and you can add or change addresses instantly -- right online. Or, call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-881-CITY (1-800-881-2489) and one of our representatives will be glad to assist.

        Citynet has a new partner in the banking business, and that means savings for Citynet and bank customers alike. Customers using automatic withdrawal billing from any Bank One account can now receive $1 off on dial-up access every month. Bank One is one of the nation's largest banks, with branches across West Virginia and in most surrounding states. That means many Citynet customers will already qualify for these savings. If you're a Bank One customer, call our Customer Service Center or use the online Account Manager at http://www.citynet.net to specify ACH withdrawal, and start saving today!

        Dial-up savings are just the start. Over the coming months, Bank One plans to begin special offers of its own, especially for Citynet customers. So there's no better time to combine the power of Citynet with the convenience and security of banking at Bank One.

        Open a Bank One account and tell them Citynet sent you -- soon you'll be saving, too!

        Citynet is in the final stages of testing new features that will give you even more control over your Internet traffic. That's good news for parents who want to make sure their children don't view or receive inappropriate material, and for anyone who would like to see less spam in the Inbox every morning.

        For parents, Citynet will soon introduce browser controls that will let you limit the sites that children can visit. Plus, new email filtering options will let you determine which other email sources can send to your children's email addresses. Simply put, if it doesn't come from a source you approve, it won't get through at all.

        Buried in spam? Adults, too, will have the option of limiting their own email receipts. Stay tuned for more news on these powerful new features, coming soon from Citynet.

        Attention business owners, managers and IT directors: Are you looking for a way to reduce connectivity costs for your organization this year? Citynet can help you cut costs dramatically and increase your bottom line at the same time. For a limited time, Citynet is offering the first six months of dedicated, high-speed Internet access to any business or organization for free! Simply switch to Citynet, or add high-speed service for the first time, and we'll credit you automatically for your first six months.

        After the introductory period, you'll keep on saving, too. Citynet's rates for high-speed access are the lowest in the state. That's reason in itself to switch to Citynet.

        Contact our Commercial Sales Department today at 1-800-903-8906 and learn how Citynet can take money off your IT bills and put it in your profit column, where it belongs.

        There's a growing push in society, and across the Internet, to make web sites more accessible to persons with disabilities. And in some case, it's even mandated by law. Citynet's web development experts can review your site and make suggestions to ensure that everyone is able to use your web site easily and effectively.

        Citynet is already working with several state agencies to accomplish this goal. Senate Bill 767, passed during the 2001 legislative session, requires all public agencies to take steps this year to make their sites more accessible to the blind or visually impaired. The trend is spreading to commercial enterprises as well, as Internet-savvy companies move to broaden their reach on the web.

        Most of these changes are easily accomplished. And because most are made in the underlying code of your site (the "invisible" part, so to speak), costly graphic redesigns aren't necessary. Citynet can review your site, and tell you where you stack up. Just call our Commercial Sales Department at 1-800-903-8906 to arrange for a review.