untangling_the_web

DID: 4046925
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Finding ISPs & Internet Access Points
Thanks to the expansion of the Internet, it has become relatively easy to track down
ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and/or Internet access points (lAPs) for any
country with public Internet access. The first thing you need to understand is that
there is no such thing as a complete list of ISPs anywhere. Furthermore, even a
cursory look at websites providing lists of ISPs are either heavily weighted toward or
entirely about US ISPs. How do you go about finding ISPs in the rest of the world?
The best information about non-US ISPs, not surprisingly, requires payment,
sometimes big payment. I highly recommend you check with your organization's
library or other reference resource to see what premium (fee for service) resources
they offer. For example, TeleGeography's Global Internet Geography is probably
the single best source of information on ISPs around the world, but it is far from
cheap. Registered users can view free samples of the report, but to view the
complete provider list, read the detailed profiles on many of the providers, and see
the myriad country profiles, you must have access to the complete report.
Global Internet Geography from TeleGeography
http://www.telegeography.com/products/gig/index.php
One good way to find freely available information about non-US ISPs is to look at
organizations or associations, such as the European ISP Association. This page
provides links to its members' sites in individual European countries, from which you
can quickly dig down and find ISPs that are in turn members of that country's
association.
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