MindSpring

MindSpring was a major Internet service provider which merged with EarthLink on February 4, 2000, with the company retaining the EarthLink name.

MindSpring was founded in February 1994 by Charles Brewer in Atlanta, Georgia after he had a frustrating experience trying to get online with Netcom (USA). It had only non-paying customers for four months, and shared facilities and technical staff with Internet Atlanta, another local ISP. By late 1994, MindSpring had obtained investment funding from ITC Holding Company and moved into offices at Georgia Tech Advanced Technology Development Center. It established its first point of presence outside Atlanta in May 1995, and went public in March 1996 with the ticker symbol MSPG . Along the way, it also acquired the ISP business of Nando.net in North Carolina, although Nando continued as an online news website. In September 1996 it acquired PSINet retail subscribers, and in October 1998 it acquired SpryNet.

In February 1999, it acquired Netcom (USA) and its subscriber base surpassed 1 million. It announced its first high speed cable service to Montgomery, Alabama in March 1999 and DSL services to eight cities the following November. MindSpring announced an agreement to merge with EarthLink that September. Merger transactions with EarthLink were completed on February 4, 2000, creating the second largest internet service provider with over three million subscribers, while keeping the EarthLink name and its ticker symbol, ELNK .