Internet

This article is about the Internet, the extensive, worldwide computer network available to the public. An internet is a more general term informally used to describe any set of interconnected computer networks that are connected by internetworking.

Internet access

Common methods of home access include dial-up, landline broadband (over coaxial cable, fiber optic or copper wires), Wi-Fi, satellite and cell phones.

Related Topics:
Dial-up - Broadband - Wi-Fi - Satellite - Cell phones

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Public places to use the Internet include libraries and Internet cafes, where computers with Internet connections are available. There are also Internet access points in many public places like airport halls, in some cases just for brief use while standing. Various terms are used, such as "public Internet kiosk", "public access terminal", and "Web payphone". Many hotels now also have public terminals, though these are usually fee based.

Related Topics:
Public place - Libraries - Internet cafe - Payphone

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Wi-Fi provides wireless access to computer networks, and therefore can do so to the Internet itself. Hotspots providing such access include Wifi-cafes, where a would-be user needs to bring their own wireless-enabled devices such as a laptop or PDA. These services may be free to all, free to customers only, or fee-based. A hotspot need not be limited to a confined location. Whole campuses and parks have been enabled, even entire cities. Grassroots efforts have led to wireless community networks.

Related Topics:
Wi-Fi - Hotspots - Wifi-cafes - Laptop - PDA - Grassroots - Wireless community network

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Apart from Wi-Fi, there have been experiments with proprietary mobile wireless networks like Ricochet, various high-speed data services over cellular or mobile phone networks, and fixed wireless services. These services have not enjoyed widespread success due to their high cost of deployment, which is passed on to users in high usage fees. New wireless technologies such as WiMAX have the potential to alleviate these concerns and enable simple and cost effective deployment of metropolitan area networks covering large, urban areas. There is a growing trend towards wireless mesh networks which offer a decentralised and redundant infrastructure and are often considered the future of the Internet.

Related Topics:
Ricochet - WiMAX - Metropolitan area networks - Mesh networks

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Broadband access over power lines was approved in 2004 in the United States in the face of stiff resistance from the amateur radio community. The problem with modulating a carrier signal onto power lines is that an above-ground power line can act as a giant antenna and jam long-distance radio frequencies used by amateurs, seafarers and others.

Related Topics:
Broadband access over power lines - Amateur radio

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Countries where Internet access is available to a majority of the population include Germany, India, China, Chile, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Australia, Denmark, the United States, Canada, Britain, The Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Norway. The use of the Internet around the world has been growing rapidly over the last decade, although the growth rate seems to have slowed somewhat after 2000. The phase of rapid growth is ending in industrialized countries, as usage becomes ubiquitous there, but the spread continues in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

Related Topics:
Germany - India - China - Chile - Iceland - Finland - Sweden - Australia - Denmark - United States - Canada - Britain - The Netherlands - Japan - Singapore - Taiwan - South Korea - Norway - Africa - Latin America - Caribbean - Middle East

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However, there are still problems for many. ADSL and other broadband access is rare or nonexistent in most developing countries. Even in developed countries, high prices, mediocre performance and access restrictions often limit its uptake. Within individual countries, wide differences may exist between larger cities (often having multiple providers of broadband access) and some rural areas, where no broadband access may be available at all.

Related Topics:
ADSL - Broadband - Developing countries

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The expansion of the availability of Internet access is a way to bridge the so-called digital divide.

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