Q.What is the Internet? Explain how a user connects to the Internet through an ISP, and describe any four applications of the Internet.

The answer should define the Internet, explain the role of the ISP in getting connected, and then give real everyday uses.

Other applications include social networking, e-learning, video conferencing, and e-governance.

What the Internet is. As Section f explains, the Internet is the worldwide network of networks — the largest computer network in the world, joining hundreds of millions of computers and devices across every country so they can share information and communicate. No single person or company owns it; it works because all connected computers follow common rules (protocols). The World Wide Web, the collection of linked web pages we view in a browser, is one service that runs on the Internet, not the whole of it.

Connecting through an ISP. To use the Internet, a home or office must connect through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) — a company that provides Internet access, usually for a fee. The ISP links the user's computer or network to the rest of the Internet. In practice, the user needs a device (computer, phone, or tablet), a connection from an ISP, and, for the web, a web browser. Common ways of accessing the Internet through an ISP include:

• Broadband over telephone or cable lines — a fast, always-on wired connection through a modem;
• Optical-fibre broadband — very high-speed access over fibre;
• Wireless / Wi-Fi — a connection shared wirelessly within a home, office, or hotspot;
• Mobile data — access over the 3G/4G (and newer) mobile network, allowing connection almost anywhere;
• Satellite Internet — for remote areas where cables do not reach.

Four applications of the Internet:

1. Electronic mail (e-mail). Sending and receiving typed messages and attached files instantly and cheaply to anyone in the world with an e-mail address.
2. The World Wide Web. Visiting millions of websites through a browser to read news, study, find information, and watch videos, helped by search engines.
3. E-commerce (online shopping). Buying and selling goods and services online, with customers placing orders and paying electronically — of direct interest in commerce.
4. E-banking (online banking). Checking balances, transferring money, and paying bills over the Internet at any time without visiting a branch.

(Other important applications include social networking, e-learning, video conferencing and VoIP calls, entertainment streaming, and e-governance.)

Do not treat the Internet and the World Wide Web as the same thing — the web is only one service running on the Internet. When describing applications, give distinct real uses (e-mail, web, e-commerce, e-banking), not several names for the same activity.