ISP - Internet Service Provider

Your computer's Internet connection is provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP is the company that hooks up your computer or other device to the Internet, whether it is for Broadband wireless access, DSL, Cable Internet, Wi-Fi or other Internet provider. An Internet Service Provider is a business entity, school, or government organization that provides businesses and individual computer users with Internet access, usually for a monthly fee.

There are many types of Internet Service Providers to choose from, although certain cities and regions may only offer a limited array of Internet Providers. Types of Internet Service Providers include: Broadband wireless access, Cable Internet, Dial-up Internet Access, DSL (short for Digital Subscriber Line, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, or ADSL), Ethernet technologies (for business use), FTTH, ISDN, SHDSL (or Single-pair high-speed digital subscriber line, for business use), and Wi-Fi.

Broadband wireless access (sometimes called Mobile Broadband, "wireless broadband" or WiBB) is a type of high speed Internet access that doesn't rely on cables, phone lines, or other existing infrastructure to provide computers or hand-held devices with an actual hardwire connection to the Internet. Internet connection is achieved through receivers placed on cell phone towers, water towers, and other high geographical features. Broadband Wireless signals are sent through the air and received through a small dish connected to a home Internet user's home or a wireless PC card in a laptop or other wireless device.  Common Broadband wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) include Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T Mobility.

Cable Internet Access is a high speed Internet service generally offered through your local telecommunications or Cable TV provider. Cable Internet connects home computers to the Internet with a cord running to a cable modem, which then connects to the larger cable network. Cable modems can also broadcast Internet access to computers and other devices without actually connecting the device to cables, using wireless technology.

Dial-up Internet Access connects computers to the Internet via phone lines, and is usually available wherever there are existing phone lines present. Although much slower than high-speed broadband Internet, Dial up Internet is available everywhere that phone lines are in place, including remote and rural areas. Because of its slower speed, Dial-Up Internet is not recommended for video conferencing, video gaming, or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol, or Internet phone services such as Skype). Some Dial-up Internet Providers are now offer higher speed Internet connections.

DSL Internet Service Providers (short for Digital Subscriber Line, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, or ADSL) is a type of high speed Internet access that also uses existing phone lines for the infrastructure. DSL provides a much more rapid connection than Dial-Up Internet, however. DSL is a digital Internet connection to the Internet that is used by both homes and businesses. Many local phone companies offer high-speed DSL Internet access DSL.

Various types of Ethernet technologies can be used to provide business or universities with Internet access. Wired Ethernet is one of these. While extremely fast if not overloaded, Wired Ethernet can become slow if a lot of users are on the same connection at the same time (such as in a college dorm or office building). Ethernet broadband Internet will provide Internet access at 10 Gbit/s, but it's hard to come by. Broadband Ethernet Internet is occasionally available to large facilities that are close to an Internet Point of Presence (the actual physical address of an Internet Service Provider's routers, ATMs, and servers).

FTTH (Fiber to the Home) Internet Access is a type of high-speed broadband Internet access that utilizes newly developed fiber optic phone cables. Fiber to the Home Internet is only available in areas where the local phone company has replaced existing copper phone lines with fiber optic cables. Fiber optic cables have almost unlimited bandwidth and are capable of extremely high speed Internet connection, which is excellent for gaming and streaming video. FTTH Internet Access is also known as Fiber to the Building or FTTB Internet. FTTH doesn't require special hardware.

ISDN (short for Integrated services digital network) Internet Services offer regular high speed Internet connection. ISDN networks use the existing copper telephone lines to transmit and receive data over the Internet. Unlike Dial-up Internet, ISDN enable phone  lines to be used for voice (phone calls) and Internet connection simultaneously. ISDN also gives you a constant data speed. ISDN Internet Providers started up in the US in the 1990s, and were the pioneers in high speed Internet service for many years. Prior to ISDN, most homes utilized a Dial-Up Internet connection. ISDN can be used for video conferencing or rapid downloads and file transfers if 2 ISDN-BRI lines are combined. ISDN technology paved the way for faster Internet connections, such as Broadband Cable Internet. ISDN Terminal adaptors function similarly to DSL or Cable Modems, although they are much more expensive.

SHDSL (an Internet Service Provider for business use) also makes use of copper telephone wires. SHDSL is short for Single-pair high-speed digital subscriber line. SHDSL allows phone lines to be used both as voice phone lines and as Internet connections.  

The most popular type of Internet Service Provider for laptops, palm-sized computers, and cell phones is Wi-Fi. In many areas, all you have to do to get Internet service is walk into a university, a coffee shop, an airport, or a hotel. The Wi-Fi logo is there, you snap out your laptop or pull out your iPhone, and you're happily surfing away. Wi-Fi Internet Connections (also called 802.11 networking) utilize radio waves to broadcast an Internet connection, using similar technology as cell phones and traditional TV and radio signals. Wi-Fi was first introduced in 1999, and has rapidly gained popularity, with many cities, businesses, and colleges broadcasting free Wi-Fi zones in certain areas. Most modern laptop computers, smartphones, personal computers, video game consoles, printers, and palm-sized computers are Wi-Fi compatible, even if they don't advertise it.

The Internet Service Provider is also known as the Internet Access Provider, or IAP.