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An '''Internet service provider''' (often given as '''ISP''' for short) is an organization which provides the public access to the global [[internetwork|internet]], the [[Internet]]. Initially, they used [[modem]]s connected to the public dial-up telephone network to give the users access to their systems; later, pioneered by [[@Home]] in the USA, [[cable TV]] systems were used, to provide [[broadband]] Internet access to home users. More recently, [[cell-phone]] service provider networks have provided ISP functionality to users through their [[smart-phone]]s.

==External links==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110809152606/http://news.cnet.com/2009-1033-846668.html Family Feud: AT&T's dual role in the spotlight as Excite@Home winds down operations] - a case study in boardroom politics

[[Category: Internet]]