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By Bill Pietrucha March 30, 2000 America Online Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is saying g'day to AAPT Ltd., Australia's third largest telecommunications company by entering into a 50-50 joint venture with the Sydney-based firm to operate AOL Australia. The joint venture also will launch an Internet portal to deliver wireless content services. Under the terms of the agreement, the joint venture will have exclusive rights to offer the AOL and CompuServe services on both PC and mobile wireless platforms throughout Australia. Bob Pittman, America Online's president and COO, said America Online will provide local and international content, global management expertise, e-commerce relationships, interactive technologies and features, and its 24 million combined AOL and CompuServe subscriber base. AAPT, with a retail customer base of more than 650,000 consumers, will provide a wide range of sales, marketing and distribution channels, plus an established network infrastructure to allow Australians to access AOL Australia through a local phone call. Pittman said as part of the agreement, the joint venture also will launch a fully-integrated Internet portal using AOL's wireless technologies to deliver content services to Australia's emerging consumer wireless market. Among the services will be consumer content for AAPT's CDMA cellular network. As a result of the recent agreement America Online and Bertelsmann AG to restructure their interests in their AOL Europe and AOL Australia joint ventures, Pittman said AOL is to take ownership of Bertelsmann's 50 percent interest in AOL Australia, subject to receipt of necessary regulatory approvals. Carol Veriga also is stepping down as managing director of AOL Australia, and will remain as a consultant. Dr. Brett Wayn, director of AOL Australia content and programming, is being promoted to general manager and will oversee the day-to-day operations of AOL Australia while the joint venture undertakes a search for a CEO.
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