rks and create service offerings, such as T- 1 circuits, digital subscriber lines (DSL) or frame relay services. In essence, IICs provide the physical elements that enable the virtual, Internet world. Examples of such IICs include backbone providers, sometimes known as network service providers (NSPs), who provide the long haul, high capacity networks that aggregate and transport Internet traffic across geographic areas. These companies provide what is known as the Internet's "core," as well as other leased-line services, mainly to large corporations needing to link geographically disparate locations over a dedicated, secure network. NSP can also refer to any IIC that provides data or voice transport services of any kind. Companies that provide access to the Internet, such as Internet service providers (ISPs), are also considered IICs. This group is extremely broad given the number of different kinds of companies that provide Internet access. Thus, one caveat to this definition is that the company must provide some physical component of the service it offers to be considered an IIC. There are many different types of companies that provide physical Internet access or related services, from small, garage-based businesses to the world's largest, most established telecommunications companies. Companies that brand Internet access services, but do not provide any physical components of that service, are not considered IICs. Given the growth of affinity marketing, there are many companies that offer Internet services as The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS part of a diverse service bundle. Such companies might add value to the access service by offering subscribers a customisable Web portal, but unless they own and maintain the physical components that support that portal themselves, they are content providers, not IICs. Mobile providers also give their subscribers access to Internet-based services, providing the necessary physical access and translation components. Mobile providers are playing an incre