XS4ALL
XS4ALL (pronounced 'Access for all') is the second oldest ISP in the Netherlands (after NLnet). It was the first to offer internet access to private individuals. XS4ALL was established in Amsterdam 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 separated from the hacker organization and soon after became independent.
On January 15, 1994, De Digitale Stad (The Digital City) opened, the result of a joint venture by the Amsterdam cultural center De Balie and XS4ALL. DDS was a FreeNet, a free system open to the public. The aim of DDS was to bring politics and citizens 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 courtroom battles. See for instance Scientology vs. the Internet.
On April 11, 1997, one of the biggest German ISPs, the DFN, a university network in Germany, started an IP-filtering blockade against XS4ALL's web site. Many protest letters were sent, mirrors were set up around the world, and the complete issue of radikal 154 was posted in the newsgroup de.soc.zensur. As a result, the blockade only lasted a few days. 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 the Dutch telephone company KPN, but it has nonetheless kept its unique character and identity.
