service provider

1. An organization that provides services for content providers and for users of a communications network. Note: The services may include access to the communications network, content hosting, server of a private message handling system, news server, etc. [After 2382-pt.35] 2. A company, organization, administration, business, etc., that sells, administers, maintains, charges for, etc., the service. The service provider may or may not be the provider of the network. [T1.653-1996] [ANSI T1.620-1991] 3. Relative to numbering guidelines and FCC regulations, service provider refers to a telecommunications carrier or other entity that receives numbering resources from the NANPA, a Pooling Administrator or a telecommunications carrier for the purpose of providing or establishing telecommunications service (FCC 00-104, §52.5 (i)). 4. The entity providing a service to the subscriber. Different types of service providers may be relevant for television services on IP — e.g., simple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Content Service Providers (CSPs). In the context of television services on IP, the CSP acquires/licenses content from Content Providers and packages this into a service. In this sense, the Service Provider is not necessarily transparent to the application and content information flow. 5. A role that is played by business or organization that has commercial agreement with IPTV Customers and provides IPTV Products and IPTV Services to IPTV Subscribers and IPTV Users associated with these IPTV Customers. The IPTV SP may integrate the services of NP(s) in order to deliver a total IPTV Service. See also IPTV Service Provider.