An internet service provider (ISP) is an organisation that provides services to access or participate in the internet. Internet services, typically offered by providers, may include internet access, internet transit, domain name registration, web hosting, mail service, and server collocation. An ISP is usually the access point or gateway that provides a user with access to everything available on the internet or vice versa: it brings what a user provides to the internet. ISPs can be organised in various ways, including commercial, community-owned, not-for-profit or privately owned.
In this guide to selecting an ISP, Pangea emphasises the fact that there are other dimensions to consider if we are concerned with more than just prices and speed, such as ethical criteria about our choices, the effect our decision has on local supply and the market, and environmental impact considerations.
This guide was produced with the support of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) through a subgrant made possible by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Read the full guide here.