Sprint Internet Passport takes flight with free pilot offering. (new Internet services from long-distance provider) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)

Sprint Corp. last week officially announced plans to enter the Internet service provider market, offering a free pilot to its existing long-distance telephone customers. (See "Sprint plans online service," July 22, page 1.)

The service, Sprint Internet Passport, will be targeted at small businesses and consumers in 212 metropolitan areas in the United States.

"We are starting from an infrastructure that has brought more consumers to online services," said Jim Dodd, vice president and general manager of the Sprint Internet Passport group.

Sprint has served as the dial-up access point for many of the proprietary online services, such as America Online. …