Internet service provider
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An Internet service provider, or ISP, maintains, installs and provides internet connection to residential or commercial areas. Some examples of ISP clients include - homes, coffee shops, hotels, libraries, offices. They usually charge a fee for installing the connection and a monthly fee for maintaining it.
The internet is basically a web of interconnected networks - which are maintained by a huge number of different ISPs. They keep connected around the world by giving their clients access to other ISP networks. This is called peering.[1]
Many ISPs have other services such as e-mail and web hosting service.
ISPs offer different types of connections such as dial-up, DSL, through optical fiber wires, through a cable television connection, or wireless. Communications satellite connections are used mainly in remote areas. Dial-up is the slowest connection, while a direct fiber-optic connection is usually the fastest.