Unlike CompuServe or AOL, The World sold shell accounts that reached the real internet — email, Usenet, FTPFile Transfer Protocol — a classic protocol for uploading and downloading files over networks., and Telnet over local phone lines. Barry Shein's Boston ISPInternet service provider — a company that sells internet access to homes and businesses. showed that individuals and small businesses could get the same TCPTransmission Control Protocol — a reliable, connection-oriented protocol used on the internet./IPInternet Protocol — the addressing and routing layer that moves packets across networks. reach researchers had on campus, for about $20 a month.

The World opened the internet to paying consumers outside academia and defense contractors.

It established the commercial dial-up ISPInternet service provider — a company that sells internet access to homes and businesses. model that AOL and regional providers scaled in the 1990s.