What is a ISP? This is probably a question you may have asked yourself or someone else have asked you. An ISP is short for your Internet service provider. In short the ISP is the company that provides your Internet connection AOL, MSN, and AT&T are just some of the companies that provide ISP service to you. Now don't get me wrong these aren't the only ones who do it. Those are just some of the big names around. In fact let's look over the ISP industry and see how it's changing.

The major carriers have dominated the ISP market for a very long time, but that is starting to change as a shift is being made to other area's of their business. Smaller companies are cropping up and becoming ISP providers and giving the big boys outlets for their services. These small companies are making some profit for carrying these services to members of their communities. Almost anyone anymore can start their own ISP anymore.

It use to be you had to have a lot of money to start your own, but not anymore. Competition has made this segment of the business more affordable for the average American. Cheap Internet providers are popping up and the only real problem I see with them is how reliable are they. How is their customer service? Can you count on them when you have a problem? These are things you should think about before you get a local ISP.

Their are some companies that will take your money and run so before you sign any contract make sure everything is spelled out for you and you understand what your getting out of the Internet service provider. Your Internet service provider use to be local, but that may not be the case anymore as many local ones have went under due to high competition.

Their use to be a time when some ISP were free and you had to pay nothing for their service. That has also went by the wayside. The free model wouldn't work and no corporate dollars could be seize and thus they couldn't compete with the paid ones. Now I hope this makes it easier for you to understand what a ISP is and how it relates to your situation. ISP isn't hard once you understand what they are and how they work.