(n.) An organization that supplies access to high-speed transmission lines that connect users to the
Internet. These lines comprise the
backbone of the Internet. Different from an
ISP, which provides users access to the Internet, a backbone provider supplies the ISPs with access to the lines, such as
T1 or
T3 lines, that connect ISPs to each other, allowing the ISPs to offer their customers Internet access at high speeds.
Some major backbone providers include MCI, Sprint, UUNET, AGIS and BBN.