FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION et: The Intern How we g Back on Lookin e world cted to th got conne Summer 2004 Standards and Protocols: Making sure the Message the Birth of the Internet Gets Through • 1963—American Standard Code for While some may think primary owner of high- to link the Nation’s Information Interchange (ASCII) the Internet is a new powered computers, it scientists and engi- adopted. This was the first universal communication tool, its was in association with neers via a cross- standard to allow computers from history is remarkably simi- the Nation’s SAGE air- country computer different manufacturers to exchange lar to other areas of com- defense system that the network. A 1965 test data. munication: first sharing of computer of a wide area net- • 1969—Request for Comments power occurred. work (known as the • People had some- (RFC) first issued. The RFC is a “Experimental Net- thing to share; But early experiments in series of standards for computer net- work”) between MIT sharing the Nation’s com- working. RFC 1 detailed the operat- • Common languages and Stanford showed puting power didn’t sat- ing standards of ARPANET, the developed; and that such a nation- world’s first packet switching net- isfy all the growing • The common lan- wide network was work. Today there are nearly 4000 needs. So, researchers guages were trans- possible. RFC’s. mitted across physical working with DOD’s Ad- media. vanced Research Project Building upon this, • 1974—Transmission Control Proto- Agency (ARPA) built and other similar tests, col (TCP-RFC 793) proposed. This In Internet terms, the ele- upon the early 1960s in 1967 Lincoln Lab standard allowed network-to- ments to be shared were development of packet scientists working network connections. In 1978 the information and comput- switching theory and vi- with ARPA put for- Internet Protocol (IP-RFC 791) ing time, the common sions of a “Galactic Net- ward plans for con- joined TCP. Together, these languages were data work” to figure out a way necting most of the (continued on page 4) communications proto- cols, and phone circuits (continued on page 3) carried it all. FCC: A Long-Term INTEREST As computer use spread after WWII, it didn’t take • 1966—Computer I Notice of Inquiry. telecommunications services and long for people with lim- • 1973—Agency approves first applica- unregulated information services. ited computer access to tion for value-added carrier to pro- want to tap into the ex- • 1985—Computer III proceeding re- vide specialized communication ser- leased. cess capacity of those vices to computer users (Telenet). with computers. • 1998—FCC affirms that Internet Ser- • 1980—Computer II Final Order estab- vice Providers will continue to be Since, in the 1950s, the lishes distinction between regulated treated as “end users,” thus paying U. S. government was the lower access fees. (continued on page 3) 1970 1962 1964 1969 ALOHAnet, 1958 U.S. airlines ARPANET 1971 Galactic 1965 a packet net- 1st commercial launch 1st begins —1st Network U.S.’s 1st work that used @ symbol modem — commercial packet switch- proposed wide area radio waves for proposed for 300 bps time -sharing ing network network transmission, email of computers established with SABRE P AGE 2 T HE INTERNET: Broadband-AT-HOME: where the information superhighway speeds up Broadband Subscribers 14 A technology in operation for less automation, or even patient health than 10 years would not usually remotely through the Web. The Cable 12 qualify for historical treatment. high speed and high volume that 10 However, in the case of residential broadband offers could Cable broadband Internet access, the ex- also be used for bun- 8 plosive growth of this technology dled service where, Cable 6 may be rewriting all the rules re- for example, cable DSL garding the history of new tech- television, video-on- DSL 4 DSL In millions nologies. demand, voice, 2 data, and other Sat Sa S Begun in 1996, when Rogers Com- elli te ate 0 services are all te llite llite munications introduced the first offered over a single cable modem service in Canada, line. In truth, it is possible that many broadband encompasses several of the applications that will best Interestingly, these studies also find digital technologies (cable, satellite, exploit the technological capabili- that adults between the ages of 55 phone lines, power line, and wire- ties of broadband, while also cap- and 64 are more active adopters of less) that provide consumers inte- turing the imagination of consum- broadband than young adults. Re- grated access to voice, high-speed ers, have yet to be developed.” searchers don’t know if this is an (faster than 200 Kbps) data, video- indication of pricing issues or that on-demand, and interactive delivery But despite these many advantages, young people already accept services. as late as 1999, when the FCC is- broadband. But, it does indicate sued its first report on broadband, it that getting fast access to the Inter- The Congressional Research Service reported that "the consumer broad- net is no longer just a fad for the says that “broadband access, along band market is in the early stages of young. And, since broadband Inter- with the content and services it development.” net users tend to spend more time might enable, has and visit more pages online, access- the potential to But broad- ing the Internet via broadband is transform the band did also beginning to show up as an Internet—both The first attempt, in 1969, to connect not stay in alternative to entertainment alter- what it offers and computers at the first two ARPANET universities its early natives such as watching tv. how it is used. For stages for example, a two- crashed the system. On the second try the long. The Besides continuing growth in way, high-speed connection was made successfully and the Bandwidth broadband acceptance, new ways connection could Internet’s predecessor was begun. Report, of using and delivering broadband be used for based on are opening new vistas and creat- interactive Nielsen// ing new challenges. Ideas ranging applications such NetRatings from using electric lines as a broad- as online surveys, band transmission medium to plac- classrooms, showrooms, or health finds that between 2000 and 2001 ing long distance phone calls via clinics, where teacher and student broadband subscriptions rose over broadband may offer more services (or customer and salesperson, 50%; and, there was another 48% at lower prices—but, will also re- doctor and patient) can see and growth in 2003. Today, it is esti- quire flexible and creative thinking hear each other through their mated that over 27 million busi- about many of our traditional utility nesses and households (45% of computers. An “always on” and communication services. connection could be used to Internet households) use broad- band to access the Internet. monitor home security, home 1977 1981 1978 1979 Desktop 1973 The term 1979 IP protocol joins USENET personal Ethernet a “internetting” begins Emoticons 1982 TCP as common newsgroups computers local area net- to be used to de- Domain Name standard for -) -( grow from introduced work essential, scribe connections System created. net-to-net first suggested work at proposed between various by RFC 819 networks connections Duke University T HE INTERNET: LOOKING BACK PAGE 3 FCC: A Long-Term INTEREST (continued from page 1) • 1999—FCC releases Local Com- 2. Promote competition across • 2003—FCC hosts Voice over IP petition and Broadband Report different platforms for broad- Forum. and Order. band services. 3. Ensure that broadband ser- • 2002—FCC proceedings on vices exist in a minimal Internet Access over Cable and regulatory environment Internet Access over DSL find that promotes investment The ARPANET experienced its first virus in 1980. that these methods of Internet and innovation. This virus shut down the ARPANET for a short access are information services. These proceedings also set 4. Develop an analytical while. The first worm struck in 1988 and forth four guiding principles in framework that is consis- infected 10% of ARPANET hosts. regard to broadband: tent, to the extent possible, across multiple platforms. 1. Encourage the ubiquitous availability of broadband Internet access to all Ameri- cans. The birth of the internet (continued from page 1) Nation’s research computers over with different equipment and differ- mil, gov, edu, org), and phone circuits. This plan was car- ent operating systems—to talk to ried out in 1969 when the ARPA- each other some common lan- • Upgrades to the transmission NET, using 50 Kbps circuits, con- guage had to be developed. backbone. nected computers at four universi- But most of these improvements ties in California and Utah. The ARPANET initially used the Net- work Control Program (NCP) as this were known only to academics, But the commercial sector did not common transmission language. government employees, and gov- allow the ability to network com- However, in 1983 ARPANET ernment-sponsored researchers and puters to belong only to academics changed its common language to contractors until the late-1980s. and scientists for very long. By the Transmission Control Protocol/ The Internet we know today began 1974 the FCC had already ap- Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). TCP/IP to seem possible in 1989 when the proved three applications for what remains today’s most commonly first commercial email carriers (MCI were called “value-added carriers.” used protocol because of its reliabil- Mail and CompuServe) began busi- These organizations added equip- ity and proven track record. ness. That same year the first com- ment to leased transmission lines in mercial dial-up Internet Service Pro- order to provide services to com- Many additional improvements in vider (World Comes on Line) also puter users.