Ireland On-Line
Encyclopedia
Ireland On-Line is a large ISP
in the Republic of Ireland
, and is owned by BT Ireland
. The largest internet service in Ireland is eircom
. It was the first commercial internet service provider in the state. The company is one of Ireland's largest ISPs and offers email
in addition to other Internet
related services. It provides a free (IOL Free) as well as a paid-for (IOL Gold) dial-up service, as well as a broadband internet service.
for IEP 2.5m. Two years later, it was sold to Esat Telecom Group plc
for IEP 115m. A year later, Esat Telecom was taken over by BT Group plc. The company then merged with BT's existing Irish ISP, oceanfree.net. The oceanfree.net service is no longer marketed, but the web portal and free email service remain.
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...
in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and is owned by BT Ireland
BT Ireland
BT Communications Limited is a telecommunications and internet company in Ireland. It is a subsidiary of BT Group plc.-Esat Telecom:The company was founded in 1990 by Denis O'Brien, and was originally known as Esat Telecom...
. The largest internet service in Ireland is eircom
Eircom
Eircom Group LTD is a telecommunications company in the Republic of Ireland, and a former state-owned incumbent. It is currently the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland and operates primarily on the island of Ireland, with a point of presence in Great Britain.As Bord...
. It was the first commercial internet service provider in the state. The company is one of Ireland's largest ISPs and offers email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
in addition to other Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
related services. It provides a free (IOL Free) as well as a paid-for (IOL Gold) dial-up service, as well as a broadband internet service.
History
The company was formed in 1992 by Barry Flanagan. In 1997, the company was bought by An PostAn Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...
for IEP 2.5m. Two years later, it was sold to Esat Telecom Group plc
BT Ireland
BT Communications Limited is a telecommunications and internet company in Ireland. It is a subsidiary of BT Group plc.-Esat Telecom:The company was founded in 1990 by Denis O'Brien, and was originally known as Esat Telecom...
for IEP 115m. A year later, Esat Telecom was taken over by BT Group plc. The company then merged with BT's existing Irish ISP, oceanfree.net. The oceanfree.net service is no longer marketed, but the web portal and free email service remain.