Week 3: Clear: The Three Amigos of Access Providers

Access Providers are businesses that provide internet access to individuals and organizations. Some Wi-FI (Wireless Fidelity) networks allow free access to them while others charge a small fee. These fees are either per use or for a fixed amount per month for faster speeds and better services. There are two types of service these providers administer, dial-up and broadband. Dial-up is a slower and cheaper way to use the internet, arranging from $5 to $24 per month. On the other hand, broadband is a much faster connection but can be highly expensive ranging from $13 to $150 per month. Many providers offer more services than the internet including news, weather, games, travel guides, financial data, e-mail, photo communities, and online storage. Access Providers are categorized as Internet Service Providers (ISP), Online Service Providers (OSP), and Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP).

Internet Service Providers (ISP)

An internet service provider is either a regional or a national access provider. A regional ISP provides internet to a specific geographical area. For example in the Gainesville, FL area is the regional ISP. A national ISP is a business that provides internet access nationwide. Due to their larger size and structure, national ISPs typically offer more services and have a larger technical support staff than regional ISPs. Two examples of national ISPs are:
and .


Online Service Providers (OSP)

Just like ISPs, online service providers offer communication with the internet, however they offer many special features that only members can use. For instance some offer instant messaging or a customized version of a web browser. The two most popular OSPs are and .


Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP)

A wireless internet service provider administers wireless internet access to computers with either built-in wireless capabilities, wireless modems, or a wireless access points. A wireless modem is typically a usb drive or a card that is inserted into a slot on the computer or mobile device. Some examples of WISPs are:

, , , , and .


The Business World

Access Providers are the ground base for communication to the internet for individuals and organizations. If they didn't exist then the way we communicate to each other would be much harder and we would get less information out of it. Access providers allow for people to communicate with one another cheaply compared to the price without them. If we didn't have access providers the only people that could use the internet would be rich people, scientist, and the government.

What Is An Access Provider?

The Site above explains what an access provider is and the types of them out there. It also explains the uses of them and how people are benefited from them.