An Internet service provider network is a system that provides Internet access to users. There are some downsides to ISP, mainly revolving around the potential downtimes that could delay critical processes in sectors like healthcare, where this has detrimental consequences.
ISPs use various types of technology like fiber optics, cable, DSL, and satellite, to deliver data. The network consists of physical hardware as well. This includes servers, routers, and data centers. ISPs serve as intermediaries, connecting individual users and organizations to larger networks or directly to the internet backbone.
According to a chapter from the Guide to Reliable Internet Services and Applications, “In large carrier networks, the IP Backbone is not a self-contained entity; it co-exists with numerous access and transport networks operated by the same or other service providers.” Its function is to control necessary aspects of internet access, including bandwidth, speed, and reliability.
Related: What are POP3 and IMAP?
ISPs can support healthcare communication by allowing for the necessary infrastructure for the transmission of secure HIPAA compliant emails. There are however prominent challenges with the application of ISPs in healthcare as prevalent with many internet protocols.
These include:
TCP is a transmission control protocol, that breaks data into small packets, sends them, and ensures they arrive safely.
Internet protocols are addresses that help devices find each other on a network. Every device connected has an IP address either:
Groups of devices are connected to share resources like printers or the internet. They can range from small setups, like WiFi, to massive ones, like the internet itself. Types of system networks include: