Internet Timeline• 1962 - first electronic mail on a single

computer

• 1964 - first book on packet switching theory

• 1968 - ARPA funds ARPA Computer Network (ARPANET)

• 1969 - first ARPANET node at UCLA

• Oct 1969 - first network connection between two computers on ARPANET

• 1970 - first networked electronic mail

• 1971 - ARPA changes name to DARPA

• 1973 - development of Ethernet; initial development of TCP/IP

• 1977 - experimental Internet

• 1979 - first use of :-) in email (used to express emotion)

• 1983 - operational Internet; development of PCs and workstations

• 1985 - NSF funds 5 national supercomputer centers; NSF and DARPA agree to

mutual access

• 1986 - NSFNET backbone = 56 Kb/sec; NSFNET regionals develop;

creation of IETF and IRTF

• 1987 - fiber optics become cost effective

• 1988 - NSFNET backbone = 1.5 Mb/sec

• 1989 - NSFNET Acceptable Use Policy prohibits backbone usage for

purposes “not in support of Research and Education”

• 1990 - ARPANET retired

• 1991 - NSFNET backbone = 45 Mb/sec

• 1991 - new commercial backbones emerge: Alternet, PSINet, ANS (MCI); NSFNET traffic = 1 trillion

bytes/month

• 1992 - new concept developed: World Wide Web; number of computers on

Internet = 1,000,000

• 1993 - PSINet and AlterNet backbones = 45 Mb/sec; DARPA changes name to

ARPA

• 1994 - Sprint begins selling Internet connectivity; WWW traffic across NFSNET increases 1600 times; NSFNET traffic exceeds 10 trillion bytes per month; can now order Pizza Hut on the Web

• 1995 - MCI begins selling Internet connectivity; NSF’s funding on all this from 1986-1995 = $200 million

• 1995 - Federal Networking Council resolution “defines” Internet (not invented by Al Gore!)

FNC Defines Internet

• RESOLUTION: The Federal Networking Council agrees that the following languages reflects our definition of the term “Internet”. “Internet” refers to the global information system that - (i) is logically linked together by a globally unique address space based on the Internet Protocol (IP) or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons; (ii) is able to support communications using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons, and/or other IP-compatible protocols; and (iii) provides, uses or makes accessible, either publicly or privately, high level services layered on the communications and related infrastructure described herein.

• 1995 - NSFNET reverts back to a research network; existing sites have to use commercial network providers

• 1995 - NSF creates new research network: vBNS, linking supercomputer centers

• 1996 - ARPA changes name to DARPA; MCI backbone = 622 Mb/sec

• Nov 1996 - Internet 2 project begins• 1999 - MCI (vBNS provider for NSF)

upgrades backbone to 2.5 Gb/sec

Growth in Number of Computers on Internet: 1982 - 1998

Growth in Number of Computers on Internet: 1982 - 1998 (log)

Info about “The Internet”

• All About the Internet (and then some):– http://www.isoc.org/internet/

• History and Growth:– http://www.isoc.org/guest/zakon/Internet/History/HIT.html

• Frequently Asked Questions (a few anyway) about the Internet:– http://www.isoc.org/internet/faq.txt