Individual network
The Individual Network e. V. (IN) was a not-for-profit association which, from 1992 to 2000, was the umbrella organization for various operating groups and enabled private individuals to access the Internet . At times, 300,000 users were connected to the Internet via the IN.
Members were, on the one hand, regional operator associations, which were increasingly able to provide their participants with full Internet connectivity in addition to an e-mail and Usenet connection, and on the other, mailbox networks such as MausNet and CL-Netz .
The IN signed contracts with the leading Internet providers in Germany at the time, EUnet and XLink, and as a member of the German research network, it was able to use the network infrastructure of the local universities in many places.
When the prices for Internet access fell towards the end of the 1990s, the operator associations were no longer dependent on the IN as a purchasing association. In addition, they saw themselves exposed to increasing competition from commercial Internet providers, who in turn now offered affordable Internet access for private individuals. This development led to the dissolution of the association in 2000. Various local operator communities continue to exist, but no longer play a major role as Internet providers.
societies
The following former member associations still exist (as of 2010):
- Aachen - Oche e. V.
- Augsburg - Augsburger Computer Forum e. V.
- Berlin - IN-Berlin e. V.
- Braunschweig - Escape e. V.
- Bremen - Communication Network Bremen eV
- Chemnitz - IN-Chemnitz e. V.
- Dortmund - PING e. V.
- Dresden - SaxNet e. V.
- Franconia - Communication Network Franconia e. V.
- Fulda / Rhön - IN-competent e. V.
- Giessen / Wetzlar - UUCP Friends Lahn e. V.
- Hamburg - Hanse e. V.
- Hanover - HanNet e. V.
- Karlsruhe - INKA e. V.
- Kiel - Toppoint e. V.
- Magdeburg - boerde.DE e. V.
- Munich - muc.de e. V.
- Münster / Osnabrück - Westphalia e. V.
- Ostwestf./Lippe - Private Internet Ostwestfalen-Lippe e. V.
- Passau - IN-Passau e. V.
- Saarland - Internet Privat e. V.
- Sauerland - Sauerland Online e. V.
- Stuttgart - bawue.net e. V.
- Thuringia - ThurNet
- Ulm - IN-Ulm e. V.