Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Connect via High-Speed Service
Several “high-speed” Internet services are available for home and business. They include cable
modem connections from cable television companies, DSL connections from phone com-
panies, and satellite connections from satellite television companies. These technologies were
discussed in Chapter 6. High-speed services provide data transfer rates between 1 and 7 Mbps.
Unlike dial-up, high-speed services provide “always connected” service that does not tie up
the phone line.
Connect Wirelessly
In addition to connecting to the Internet through wired systems such as phone lines and
television cables, wireless Internet access is very popular. Thousands of public Wi-Fi services
are available in coffee shops, airports, hotels, and elsewhere, where Internet access is provided
free, for an hourly rate, or for a monthly subscription fee. Wi-Fi is even making its way into
aircraft, allowing business travelers to be productive during air travel by accessing e-mail and
corporate networks. 6
Cell phone carriers also provide Internet access for handsets or notebooks equipped with
connect cards. New 3G mobile phone services rival wired high-speed connections enjoyed
at home and work. Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and other popular carriers are working to bring
4G service to subscribers soon. 4G cell phone service will compete strongly against today's
wired services. Wireless devices also require specific protocols and approaches to connect.
For example, wireless application protocol (WAP) is used to connect cell phones and other
devices to the Internet. See Figure 7.4.
Figure 7.4
Connecting Devices to Wireless
Networks
Notebook computers can use a
connect card to take advantage of
cell phone carrier data services.
(Source: Courtesy of vario images
GmbH & Co.KG / Alamy.)
When Apple introduced the iPhone, one of its slogans was the “Internet in your pocket.”
The iPhone serves to prove the popularity of, and potential for, Internet services over
a handset. 7 Intel picked up on Apple's slogan and added it to its own marketing campaign
for its processor called the Atom, which is designed to bring the Internet to more mobile
devices. 8
Internet Service Providers
An Internet service provider (ISP) is any company that provides Internet access to people
and organizations. Some ISPs such as America Online (AOL) and Microsoft Network (MSN)
offer extended information services through software installed on the subscriber's PC. Many
others simply offer a connection to the Internet that subscribers use with a Web browser and
other Internet software to access services. Thousands of organizations serve as ISPs, ranging
from universities making unused communications line capacity available to students and
faculty to major communications giants such as AT&T and Verizon. To use this type of
Internet service provider (ISP)
Any company that provides Internet
access to people or organizations.
 
 
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