XS4ALL

XS4All (pronounce 'Access for all') is the second oldest ISP of the Netherlands, after NLnet[?], and the oldest to offer internet access to private individuals. XS4ALL was founded by Felipe Rodriquez, Rop Gonggrijp, Paul Jongsma and Cor Bosman.

It offers dial-up access as well as ADSL.

In 1993 Dutch hacker organization Hacktic[?] decided to offer internet access as an experiment under the name XS4All. The experiment proved more popular than originally expected and the decision was made to provide professional internet access services. The provider service separate from the hacker organization and soon after became independent.

On 15 January 1994 De Digitale Stad (The Digital City) opened, the result of a joint venture by De Balie and XS4ALL. DDS was a FreeNet, a free system which everyone could use. With DDS the aim was to bring politics and the citizen together in an online community.

XS4All distinguishes itself from other Dutch ISPs, in that it often takes controversial standpoints. It has taken spammers to court (making it the target for many internet vandals) and fought other battles in court. See for instance Scientology vs. the Internet.

On 11th of april 1997 one of the biggest German ISPs, the DFN (university-network in Germany), started a ip-filtering blockade against XS4ALL's web site . It only lasted a few days. Many protest letters were send, mirrors arised around the world, and the complete issue of radikal 154 was posted in the newsgroup de.soc.zensur (and mirrored at dejanews). In september 1996 members of the german ICTF (Internet Content Task Force) also blocked XS4ALL for about a month.

In december 1998 XS4ALL was sold to Dutch telephone company KPN, but it has nonetheless kept its unique character and identity.

External Links

XS4All homepage (http://www.xs4all.nl)