AT&T's dial-up Internet service WorldNet could be melded with Excite@Home as a result of Ma Bell_s newfound control over the high- speed Net access company.

After strengthening its control over Excite@Home Wednesday, AT&T may eventually play matchmaker between the two Net access services in order to offer its customers a full range of Internet speed options. The idea of a direct partnership between WorldNet and Excite@Home is not new. AT&T reportedly considered selling WorldNet, which claims more than 2 million customers, to Excite@Home early last year. Excite@Home_s management had considered offering a dial-up service for months before finally settling on a 1stUp.com-powered service called FreeWorld. This free Internet service, now called FreeLane following a name infringement lawsuit, left Ma Bell executives less than thrilled because of its competition with WorldNet. A tight partnership between WorldNet and Excite@Home is likely to benefit both outfits, by giving WorldNet subscribers an obvious upgrade option-- potentially at a discount-- if they want higher-speed Internet service. From Excite@Home_s perspective, gaining access to a large pool of current dial-up Net customers gives the company a ready-made batch of potential subscribers to whom it can market its cable-modem service.