Can I Keep EarthLink Email If I Change to AT&T?
By Carol Luther
Changing your Internet service provider is easy in most cases. Changing your email address is an obstacle that keeps some people from switching from one service to another. AT&T has software that helps new clients automate the notification process, but you may prefer to keep your EarthLink email address for a number of reasons. EarthLink allows its former customers to keep a previous email address by paying a nominal annual fee.
Switch Providers
To simplify your switch to AT&T as your Internet service provider, AT&T will check the availability of your current EarthLink email identity on its network. If your user name is available, you will have the opportunity to use it with an AT&T email domain extension. If you have more than one email account under your EarthLink service, check each one.
Your AT&T new account agent will inform EarthLink that you are transferring your Internet service. AT&T also requests that EarthLink reduce your Internet service to the minimum level required for your email accounts to remain active during the transfer period. She will also recommend that you leave your EarthLink service active for 30 to 90 days so that you can use the AT&T transfer software to notify each sender of your new AT&T email address.
Activate EarthLink Premium Mail
After your transition period, you must contact EarthLink to close your account or arrange to retain your EarthLink email address. EarthLink will continue to bill you for Internet service at the level that AT&T requested for your account transfer. EarthLink's minimum monthly charge to retain two email addresses on your account was less than $5 in 2009. You pay additional fees to keep more email addresses active. You can view and send your email messages at EarthLink's "Webmail" page from any computer with an Internet connection. You can use any compatible email software to retrieve and download your messages to your computer, once you connect to the Internet with your AT&T service.
Review your services. Visit the EarthLink "Support" page and select "Online Account Maintenance." This is not the webmail sign-in screen. The site directs you to the log-in page for your account where you can review your billing plan, along with options for adding or changing services and canceling your account. Select the "My Plan Details" link in the sidebar to view your service level and the current fees for your EarthLink account.
Review the downgrade option online at EarthLink's "Stay Connected" page. Select "Premium Mail" tab to read about changing from dialup or DSL to mail only. You can use the page links to downgrade online; however, EarthLink recommends that you contact customer service to complete the process. The EarthLink representative will explain the rates that you must pay for all the email addresses that you want to keep active. Once you complete the service change request, your email address will remain active as long as you submit the monthly or annual fees.
References
Writer Bio
Carol Luther has more than 25 years of business, technology, and freelance writing experience. She has held leadership roles in higher education management, international development, adult education, vocational education, and small business support programs