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:: Internet Players
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  Internet access is offered by a wide variety of businesses from tiny local ISPs to huge international telephone companies. Thousands of local and regional ISPs have sprung up to provide Internet access for many individuals and small companies. These providers purchase access from phone companies or larger access providers and resale it to local businesses. Although ISPs have been much faster to market, they are beginning to feel the pressure of telephone companies who offer Internet access, bundled with local and long distance services. National Service Providers (NSPs) such as Epoch Networks, PSINet, and UUNET are able to provide faster, more reliable connections. It is these overlapping national networks that have replaced government sponsored lines to form the new backbone of the Internet. NSPs have a greater chance of survival, since they typically attract larger customers and more capital. Local/Regional phone companies, such as GTE and the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs), have finally awakened and begun to offer Internet access. This action is putting lots of pressure on smaller ISPs. Since the Telecommunications Act of 1996, phone companies can offer entire communications packages including local and long distance access, Internet access, paging, and cellular phone services. The advantage to customers is lower rates and a single bill in the mail. All major long distance telecommunications companies ( AT&T, MCI, Sprint and Worldcom) have also begun to provide Internet access. Their vast resources and marketing power have given them tremendous advantages in delivering Internet access to customers. These companies will quickly drive the prices of Internet access down to commodity levels. Additionally, a cable TV companies, including Time Warner, Cox Communications, and @Home Network, offer access through existing cable TV lines using cable modems. This approach yields faster data speeds, at much lower costs. Watch for cable modems to become a larger influence as technical difficulties are worked out..
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Epoch Networks Incorporated, 1996