CapAccess was an early Internet service provider based in Washington, DC. It was founded in 1992 with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and George Washington University.[1] The service charged a one-time fee of $25 and provided users with access to internet e-mail, Gopher, and text-based access to the World Wide Web.[2] In 1995, management of the system was taken over by WETA, the PBS station based in Washington.
Initially, access to the network was available via dial-up over telephone lines. In 1998, users could access the system via telnet. [3] In 2001, the system was given an overhaul and was converted from text-based to graphical, with the usage of the FirstClass platform.[4]
CapAccess played a large part in connecting governmental and educational organizations to the internet in its infancy. As time went on, Internet access became accessible from a number of commercial Internet service providers. With the advent of broadband Internet, there was no reason for WETA to continue to support CapAccess, and it was shut down in 2009.