QandAs: Tech

What is an ISP?

Answer:
ISP stands for internet service provider.

An ISP is a company that provides internet access to customers for a monthly fee. Depending on the size, most ISPs can provide a range of options on connectivity including dial-up connections, DSL, cable and T-1 connections.

The bandwidth and speeds differentiate the connectivity options and cost. A T-1 is a costly Internet connection and is usually utilized by companies with 10 or more simultaneous users. An ISP is a central hub with drains to the Internet.

What does this mean? Since the Internet is essentially a giant tangled web of phone lines talking to each other the ISP purchases large allotments of connections to the "giant tangled web" and leases them back to you at a cost.

Recently, many cable television and phone companies are becoming ISPs. Cable companies have figured out how to transfer data down their cable connections instead of the standard copper twisted pair telephone lines.