How Much Do You Know About Internet Service Providers (ISPs)?

Internet Service Providers: a summary

• An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet.
• ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privately owned.
• ISPs offer Internet access, Internet transit, domain name registration, web hosting, Usenet service, and colocation.
• ISPs serve as the access point or the gateway that provides a user access to everything available on the Internet.
• In 1989, the first Internet service providers, companies offering the public direct access to the Internet for a monthly fee, were established in Australia and the United States.
• ISPs offer discounts to low-income families, with internet service available for as little as $10 a month.
• Access provider ISPs provide Internet access using various technologies such as computer modems, Wi-Fi, and fiber optics.
• Mailbox provider ISPs provide services for hosting electronic mail domains with access to storage for mailboxes.
• Internet hosting services provide email, web-hosting, or online storage services.
• Free ISPs provide service free of charge and are usually run on a nonprofit basis, usually with volunteer staff.
• A wireless Internet service provider (WISP) is an Internet service provider with a network based on wireless networking.
• ISPs in rural regions have limited competition, causing subscription rates to rise disproportionately with the quality of service in rural areas.