Excite@Home retreats from Europe

NEWS Broadband ISP Excite@Home is quitting Europe, leaving only its outposts in Italy and the UK. In a statement, the company blamed the weakened net advertising environment and its "negative effect" on the timeframe for the ultimate profitability of its media businesses in Germany, France and Spain. Evan Rudowski, managing director of Excite Europe, told silicon.com: "The decision was taken because of the downturn in advertising and our determination to hit profit." Rudowski admitted the company found it easier to move more quickly in countries where it operated as a joint venture with a major telco. Italy and the UK are run as joint ventures with Tiscali and BT respectively. Excite@Home failed in an attempted merger with Dutch ISP Chello late last year. Rudowski said they had no specific plans for future mergers but would remain open to approaches. The company was forced to lay off 250 staff last month, following 380 redundancies in January. Excite@home has also announced the departure of two senior executives and the appointment of a chief operating officer Matt Jones.