Letter: Letter to Our Readers: Times Begins Digital Subscriptions

As I have said previously, the introduction of digital subscriptions is an investment in our future. It will allow us to develop new sources of revenue to strengthen our ability to continue our journalistic mission as well as undertake digital innovations that will enable us to provide you with high-quality journalism on whatever device you choose.

As you may know, on March 17, we introduced digital subscriptions in Canada. The Canadian launching allowed us to test our systems and fine-tune the user interface and customer experience. On Monday, we launched globally.

If you are a home delivery subscriber of The Times, you will continue to have full and free access to our news, information, opinion and other features on your computer, smartphone and tablet. International Herald Tribune subscribers will also receive free access to NYTimes.com.

If you are not a home delivery subscriber, you will have free access to 20 articles (including slide shows, videos and other features) each month. If you exceed that limit, you will be asked to become a digital subscriber. On our smartphone and tablet apps, the Top News section will remain free of charge. For access to the other sections within the apps, we will ask you to become a digital subscriber.?

Here is how it will work:

? The Times is offering three digital subscription packages, including an all-access option, so you can choose a plan that is right for you based on the devices you own (computer, smartphone, tablet). ?For more information or to purchase one of these plans, go to www.nytimes.com/access.

? Again, all New York Times home delivery subscribers will continue to have free access to NYTimes.com and to all content on our apps.? If you are a home delivery subscriber, go to http://homedelivery.nytimes.com to sign up for free access.

? Readers who come to Times articles through links from search engines, blogs and social media will be able to read those articles, even if they have reached their monthly reading limit.? This allows new and casual readers to continue to discover our content on the open Web. On all major search engines, users will have a daily limit on free links to Times articles.?

? The home page at NYTimes.com and all section fronts will remain free to browse for all users at all times.?

For more information, go to www.nytimes.com/digitalfaq.

As you have seen during this recent period of extraordinary global news, The Times is uniquely positioned to keep you informed. The launching of our digital subscription model will help ensure that we can continue to provide you with the high-quality journalism and substantive analysis that you have come to expect from The Times.

Thank you for reading The New York Times, in all its forms.

Sincerely,

ARTHUR SULZBERGER Jr.

Publisher, The New York Times