US OnLine, a subsidiary of USOL Holdings, provides telecommunications services to residents of multifamily dwellings. It purchased about 5,600 multifamily units formerly owned by Dallas-based Global Interactive Communications. US OnLine bought them from Access Advisory Group LP, which acquired them from Global's bankruptcy.

Jim Livingston, USOL's CEO, said the purchase price plus the cost of system upgrades is less than half the per-unit price it recently received in its sale of similar assets in the Austin-San Antonio corridor. "Moreover," he said, "we have more than doubled our presence in one of our primary target markets and have instantly added approximately 2,400 subscribers to our customer base, with the opportunity to grow that subscriber base very quickly." US OnLine services more than 185 multifamily communities in Austin, Dallas-Fort. Worth, Denver, Houston, San Antonio, Washington, DC and the Pacific Northwest.

Livingston said US OnLine plans to upgrade the acquired units' cable delivery systems to a digital format and adds a high-speed Internet service offering. "These enhancements should allow us to significantly improve customer penetration rates for both cable and data services, and they will also provide property owners with a distinct competitive advantage in attracting and retaining tenants," he concluded in his statement.