The Internet service provider of Switzerland's largest telecommunications company, Swisscom, is considering offering erotic content to subscribers, as a way of boosting its income.

The plan has already raised eyebrows, not least because the government is still the majority shareholder in the former state-owned monopoly.

Bluewin believes supplying web surfers with erotic content will be good for business. "We are considering launching an erotic portal because of the strong demand for this kind of content," spokeswoman, Melanie Schnieder, told swissinfo.

The loss-making service provider is anxious to balance its books after failing to proceed with a planned stock market flotation. Its losses for the first three months of the year are thought to be in the region of SFr11 million ($6.52 million).

Bluewin is hoping to cash in on a growing trend, which has seen a number of well-known and respectable providers, including T-Online, offering erotic content on the web.

Bluewin has also begun to diversify its services. It has introduced web hosting, name reservations and virtual shopping in the past few months.

The provider is reportedly not planning to produce its own erotic material, but is seeking a content provider, such as Private.com or Erotik.ch, according to media reports.

Bluewin had been in talks with Germany's Beate Uhse conglomerate, but they failed to strike a deal after the sex-shop specialist didn't respond to the Internet provider's advances.

If the project is finalised, Bluewin will provide a subscriber-based service. What the actual content might be is still being discussed, although "the site will be more erotic than pornographic," according to Christian Neuhaus, spokesman for Swisscom.

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