Who are Internet Service Providers?

How are we able to access the Internet? Well, ISP is an organization that provides Internet access to the users which also allows them to access several things i.e. using social media accounts, surfing, enabling internet services. They act like a bridge giving access to their users and giving them the way to provide everything available on the internet Whatever data is transmitted by the user first goes to ISPs. In the same way, all the data transmitted from the user pass through ISPs. . So yes, they can see everything that we do online. They can keep an eye on the activities their users do on the internet daily.

Photo by Leon Seibert on Unsplash

Now let’s look at the history of ISP:

1. 1980–1990: The use of the Internet commercially took place by online service providers.
2. 1991: Development of internet with some restrictions.
3. 1995: Network access points were developed that gave access to Internet Service Providers.

Let’s see how they are classified:

1. Access Provider ISP: These providers provide internet access through modems, ethernet, Wi-Fi, telephone lines, fibre optics, etc. From small businesses to homes, we get internet access to them only mainly through Wi-Fi.
2. Hosting ISPs and Transit ISPs: Services like emails, online storage, cloud services are hosted by Hosting ISPs whereas Transit ISPs have a large network to able to provide the sections of internet ISP cannot. Its used to transmit data to users that others cannot provide (location being the barrier can be the reason).
3. Mailbox Providers: We can send emails through mailbox providers. They assure email servers to send, receive, accept, store, etc. for end-users to others. They host electronic mail and also ensures they are getting stored.
4. Wireless ISPs: The network that is built on wireless technology and gives access to the internet to its users is Wireless Technology. Example: Wi-Fi.
5. Virtual and Free ISP: VISP buys the services from other Internet Service Provider so that VISPs users can access the net owned and governed by Parent ISP. They are called Wholesale ISP. Free ISP, as their name suggests is the ISP that gives access to the internet free of cost. They are known as freenets.

As they have access to all our data, they are restricted from participating in any illegal activities. They are informed to run their business most ethically and if they are accessing our data, it should be for valid reasons only. ISPs have to respect their user’s privacy but we cannot know if they do which raises big privacy concerns!