Today, you cannot stumble upon a company or household that doesn’t utilize internet services; the only thing that can distinguish you from others is the type of internet service provider you are using.
These days, one of the most crucial things as far as the digital world is concerned is to have a stable and fast internet connection. That’s especially important if you run a business or your job is related to the online landscape.
Now, have you ever wondered who or what connects you to the internet and simultaneously make sure your online journey is seamless? The answer is ISPs, also known as the Internet Service Providers.
If you aren’t sure what they represent and how they generally work, then it’s time to focus on the pieces of information that are about to be provided.
What Is An ISP?
To put it simply, an ISP can be defined as a company that offers users internet access. This can be an individual or a company. These companies are organized in various forms, like community-owned, privately owned, commercial, and non-profit.
People who use these services are obligated to pay a small fee to fully enjoy them. Since ISP services are generally very stable and secure, it means that you’ll be able to effortlessly enjoy numerous online activities.
Different Types Of ISPs, Starting With A Tier 1 ISP
So, let’s start with the first type. It’s safe to say that tier 1 IP networks are the backbone of the entire internet. In fact, they are renowned for being backbone internet providers. Their biggest role is to connect various parts of the world and concurrently, maintain stable internet connectivity.
Typically, large telecom corporations and/or governments own or control them. A Tier 1 ISP is capable of establishing a direct connection with the global internet backbone. A Tier 1 internet service provider is part of the very superior class of ISPs, and it is able to maintain the region’s whole routing table.
Moving On To Tier 2 Carriers
These are the most common of all types. Compared to the Tier 1s, they peer much more extensively, normally with other Tier 1 or Tier 2 networks. They are required to have one or more Transit providers to offer full access to the global internet.
A tier 2 provider isn’t global, but it is usually multinational. Bear in mind that just because your internet service provider provides a tier 2, it doesn’t instantly mean that its services aren’t efficient enough.
In fact, they are generally very effective. In case you didn’t know, a vast majority of tier 1 networks tend to put their tier 1 peering strategy first regarding how they interconnect with other networks.
So what does it mean? It means that routing may not always be optimal, and they may not always be “interested” in responding to customer concerns promptly. That’s because tier 1 networks prefer collaborating with bigger clients, while tier 2 networks prioritize regional consumer and commercial internet access.
There are numerous tier 2 carriers. However, the ones that are currently most popular include the following:
- Telstra
- RETN
- PCCW
- British Telecommunications
Last But Not Least – Tier 3 Internet Service Providers
The main purpose of this internet service provider is to offer a service to end-users. They purchase and then resell bandwidth from more reputable and eminent service providers, such as tier 1 or 2 ISPs.
Since a third party usually offers their only access to the internet, it means that their networks can oftentimes be very congested or throttled. If you are eager to have a tier 3 network, you should check who their peers and providers are.
If you conclude that they do not have enough peers or that they chose a provider that’s overly uncostly, then you’ll probably deal with various routing problems or congestion.
Benefits Of All These ISP Tiers
Tier 1 is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to obtain 100G+ in various places all across the globe, and you are able to utilize the economy of scale to get it down to the tier 2 price. When it comes to tier 2, it is a great option for anybody who is searching for something that’s stable yet that isn’t as costly as tier 1.
Tier 3 carrier is another affordable option that’s ideal when you have only one location to connect to and optimal internet routing is not your priority.
Final Words
The main purpose of this detailed guide was to help you better understand internet service providers, everything that comes with them, and how they generally function. We hope that things are a bit clearer as far as this goes.
Read More : Top Rated Internet Providers In London 2022
