In a likely sign of things to come, online storage company Streamload has signed a deal to provide file storage and automatic backup for customers of ISP Embarq, a Sprint/Nextel spin-off.

Embarq customers will now have access to 25 GB of free online storage and a web interface for easy access to stored multimedia files. Larger packages supporting up to a terabyte of storage will also be available for purchase. Streamload monetizes increased storage space and quotas for file sharing.

Streamload is just one of many online storage options and the company has offered 25 GB of free storage for some time. The partnership is a smart one for Embarq, though, as the company seeks to preempt more high profile offerings from vendors like Google and Microsoft.

Earthlink offers a similar service, called Weblife. Weblife only comes with 1 GB of free storage, however. See also Mike Arrington’s recent review of Carbonite (which he says is the best option yet) for an overview of the online storage scene today.

Partnering with ISPs seems like a particularly smart move for online storage services; as prices fall and it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate based on features, competition may come down primarily to a fight for visibility. As user generated multimedia becomes increasingly common, bulk storage may become a standard offering for ISPs. Automatic online backup is set to become standard as well.