Americans go online from home to work, communicate and carry out day to day tasks such as shopping and banking, so it is no exaggeration to say that their internet service providers (ISPs) are just as important as utility providers who deal in electricity and running water. This presents as much of a challenge for the ISPs as it does for their millions of customers. In the early days of the internet, choices were limited to a handful of providers. Today, there are dozens of ISPs, each of which offers impressive speeds, unlimited data and other benefits. This means the level and quality of customer service is one of the few areas in which an ISP can establish a genuine competitive advantage.