No one person or organisation is responsible for the Internet - it exists because many organisations and individuals have agreed to exchange information with each other. This decentralised and individualistic approach accounts for much of the Internet's flavour and style. To most people, the work that goes on behind the scenes to maintain the Internet is invisible. Information' can mean almost anything in this context, and this flexibility is one of the things that gives the Internet its power. The Internet is a grandchild of the telephone network.
Telephones move information from place to place as speech or as faxes.
On the Internet the 'dumb' telephone handset is replaced by a computer, which can be used to distribute information in the form of text, graphics, sounds, video clips, software, or any combination of these. For users in their own homes there are two main elements to Internet charges. The first is the charge made by your Internet service provider for connection to the Internet. This can be a flat monthly fee, a fee related to the number of hours you spend connected, or a combination of the two. Online has a monthly fee for unlimited access with no extra hourly charges.