ISPs Ask Customers To Clear Lines

Mia.net, a subsidiary of ISP Bella Mia, located in Burlington, Wis., posted a message on its home page Tuesday alerting visitors about the events and warning about their impact on the nation's Internet and communications infrastructure.

"Our nation is under attack by terrorists," reads part of the message. "We are urging dial-up customers to limit their time on the Internet, or just stay off today to keep phone lines open for those trying to reach loved ones amidst this tragedy."

The site also noted that a high number of popular online news sites have been knocked out of service by the high volume of people trying to access them to get up-to-the-minute information.

In addition to the posting, Jeremy Kinsey, owner of Bella Mia, sent out a note to the company's dial-up customers asking them to keep activity to a minimum to keep lines open for emergency communication. The company is just one of several ISPs advising customers to stay off the phone lines in the wake of the alleged terrorist attack.