Bahnhof
Encyclopedia
Bahnhof is a Swedish Internet service provider
founded in 1994 by Oscar Swartz
in Uppsala
and was the first independent ISP in Sweden
. Today the company is represented in Stockholm
, Göteborg, Uppsala
, Borlänge
, and Lund
.
Wikileaks
is currently hosted in a Bahnhof data center inside the ultra-secure bunker Pionen
, which is buried inside the White Mountains
in Stockholm
.
. It was one of the first Internet service provider in Sweden. The company is publicly traded since December 2007 under the name BAHN-B (Aktietorget). On 11 September 2008, Bahnhof opened a new computer center inside the former civil defence center Pionen
in the White Mountains
in Stockholm
, Sweden.
ed material. Although these servers were located near Bahnhof's server park (in a network lab area) the company claimed they were not their property since they had been privately purchased by staff. They further presented evidence showing the material on these servers had been planted there by someone hired by Antipiratbyrån, a Swedish organisation fighting against copyright infringement.
In December 2010, it was revealed that, having been kicked off their servers at Amazon, the controversial website Wikileaks
had also placed their data with Bahnhof. Jon Karlung, chairman of Bahnhof, one of the companies providing server space to the whistleblowing
website, gave press interviews in the light of the new controversy created by Wikileaks leak of information relating to the Afghan War
, even showing journalists the two servers on which the data was held. By the chairman's own admission, the data centre is essentially like any other, and WikiLeaks is treated just like any other client Bahnhof provides server services to.
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
founded in 1994 by Oscar Swartz
Oscar Swartz
Per Oscar Swartz is a Swedish entrepreneur, writer and blogger.Oscar Swartz was born in Solna, Stockholm County. He is the great-grandson of the former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Swartz, and a second cousin of the publisher Eva Swartz and the journalist Richard Swartz...
in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
and was the first independent ISP in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Today the company is represented in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Göteborg, Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, Borlänge
Borlänge
Borlänge is a locality and the seat of Borlänge Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 49200 inhabitants in 2011.- History :Originally Borlänge was the name of a tiny village, and the first historical information about it is from 1390. The village was insignificant up until about 1870...
, and Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
.
Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
is currently hosted in a Bahnhof data center inside the ultra-secure bunker Pionen
Pionen
Pionen is a former civil defence center built in the White Mountains in Stockholm, Sweden in the 1970s to protect essential government functions from nuclear strike. The address of the Pionen data center is Renstiernas street 35 and 37....
, which is buried inside the White Mountains
Vita Bergen
Vita Bergen is a park area of Södermalm in Stockholm....
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
History
Bahnhof was founded in 1994 by Oscar SwartzOscar Swartz
Per Oscar Swartz is a Swedish entrepreneur, writer and blogger.Oscar Swartz was born in Solna, Stockholm County. He is the great-grandson of the former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Swartz, and a second cousin of the publisher Eva Swartz and the journalist Richard Swartz...
. It was one of the first Internet service provider in Sweden. The company is publicly traded since December 2007 under the name BAHN-B (Aktietorget). On 11 September 2008, Bahnhof opened a new computer center inside the former civil defence center Pionen
Pionen
Pionen is a former civil defence center built in the White Mountains in Stockholm, Sweden in the 1970s to protect essential government functions from nuclear strike. The address of the Pionen data center is Renstiernas street 35 and 37....
in the White Mountains
Vita Bergen
Vita Bergen is a park area of Södermalm in Stockholm....
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden.
Controversies
On 10 March 2005, the Swedish police confiscated four servers placed in the Bahnhof premises, hoping to find copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
ed material. Although these servers were located near Bahnhof's server park (in a network lab area) the company claimed they were not their property since they had been privately purchased by staff. They further presented evidence showing the material on these servers had been planted there by someone hired by Antipiratbyrån, a Swedish organisation fighting against copyright infringement.
In December 2010, it was revealed that, having been kicked off their servers at Amazon, the controversial website Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
had also placed their data with Bahnhof. Jon Karlung, chairman of Bahnhof, one of the companies providing server space to the whistleblowing
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
website, gave press interviews in the light of the new controversy created by Wikileaks leak of information relating to the Afghan War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, even showing journalists the two servers on which the data was held. By the chairman's own admission, the data centre is essentially like any other, and WikiLeaks is treated just like any other client Bahnhof provides server services to.
External links
- Data Center Tour presented by Jon Karlung
- ISP sabotages file sharing law
- Pictures of Pionen on Architecture News Plus