Inside the Internet
by Dipak Chotai

 

           
[Source: Courtesy of BBC News]

The birth of the Internet that we know today can be traced back to the 1960s when the US Military developed an experimental network called ARPANET. The Internet is essentially a network of networks and the rate at which data is sent and received over these networks is critical. Since the development of the ARPANET, the actual data speed has got faster and faster:

  • 1970s: 56k bps
  • 1980s: 1.5m bps
  • 1990s: 45m bps
  • Recent years: gigabits per second

The main technical innovation that has made it possible to integrate all the different networks and therefore to the to the growth of the Internet is a protocol known as Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). In simple terms, TCP/IP govern how data is transmitted across networks and because of its flexible features various services can now be offered:

However, in recent years with the advent of web browsers like Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator together with the existing underlying technology like TCP/IP, the World Wide Web service has opened up the Internet to millions of people. Through these web pages and using the TCP/IP technology, all sorts of new multimedia applications involving voice, video, audio and animations are emerging.

The Internet has already removed most of the physical and geographical barriers but the real fascination is what role the Internet will play in the future. Some of the more specific possibilities currently being discussed include:

  • Speed: The current 'narrow band' dial-up connection will be replaced by the 'broad band' always-on high-speed communication technology like ISDN and ADSL. This development could result in more people working and doing the shopping from home.

  • Space: Work is already in progress about 'interplanetary' Internet.

  • Education: The whole concept of learning will not be based on the physical school buildings but on online virtual communities


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