America Online (AOL) launches today a service focused on the booming market of Spanish-speakers. In addition to the traditional notice for users: “You¿ve got an e-mail'', the service AOL Latino will be completely offered in Spanish, even for the instructions recorded in the CDs for program installation. AOL will offer a complete pack, including software to connect to the Internet, send an e-mail, and browse in the network in Spanish, as well as a phone number to call in case of doubt, at no cost.
According to a report released last year by the Trade Department, only 14% of the Hispanic homes with Spanish speaking members have an internet connection, compared to the 38% of the bilingual households, where English is the dominant language.
AOL has some 2,3 million Hispanic subscribers in the USA, but most of the people also speak English.