The Internet was evolved from a large number of computer networks spread around the world. The origin of the Internet dates back to mid 1960s. During that time researchers were experimenting with computer network formed through telephone lines. In 1968, Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of Department of Defence of the United States of America started a project called ARPANET. The aim of the project was to establish a computer network which could carry government as well as military informations and which could withstand adverse conditions such as nuclear attacks. It was a military funded project. Brightest brains from the academic and industrial fields were behind the project. ARPANET became a reality 1969. Using ARPANET, scientists were able to share their computers with other computers. In 1970 they realizedt that no single network could satisfy their requirements. Researchers then connected different small networks to form larger networks. This led to the formation of an interconnected network of networks. By 1973, computers from other countries were also connected to ARPANET. Soon the number of connected smaller networks began to grow. BITNET, the network of IBM and CSNET of US National Science Foundation were the two initial networks connected to ARPANET. In course of time the network spread throughout the world. Thus, the Internet was born.
Different networks connected to the Internet was not similar. Therefore, effective communication between different networks was impossible. Initially ARPANET used a protocol called Network Control Protocol (NCP) for data transfer. This protocol allowed communication between computers connected in the same network. For effective communication between different networks, ARPA developed a set of rules called protocols. Using these protocols, users in any platform were able to connect to ARPANET and this resulted in the rapid growth of the network. These protocols later became famous as TCP / IP protocols. Based on these protocols more and more computer networks were connected to the network and thus the Internet spread across the globe. TCP / IP is the core Internet protocol and this has replaced the NCP completely.
It was in 1974 that the term Internet was used to describe the single global network of computers working on TCP/IP protocols. Later, these protocols were refined and were included as a part of some of the later operating systems. After its opening for commercial purposes in 1988, the Internet marked a remarkable growth. Several commercial services also started functioning during this time. Some of the smaller networks merged with the Internet. The flexibility and ease of use of TCP/IP protocols were the major factors that helped the rapid growth of the Internet across the globe.
Work for improving the abilities of the Internet is still continuing. Future networks are considered to be intelligent networks and these networks are expected to add power and versatility to the Web surfers. New and powerful hardware, advanced architecture, high-speed backbones, new protocols and addressing conventions are the features of the future Internet. This high speed Internet is commonly called Internet 2 and this aims for the development of a high-speed, educational, research, computer network. A consortium consisting of research institutions and universities in America is already working for its development. High-speed optical backbones and the use of multicasting technology are the major features of internet 2. Multicasting allows single data to travel through the network and split into a number of branches of different destinations. The use of new technologies helps in videoconferencing, distance learning, video on demand, streaming video and audio, voice over Internet protocol and so on. This high speed network also helps the researchers spread in different parts of the world to do collaborative experiments. The high-speed network gives a virtual proximity to people and this helps in the creation and enhanced delivery of services and educational materials in different areas. High quality TV, digital quality video and the high-speed downloading ability or other features of this high-speed network.
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