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2 Apr 1994
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE INTERNET?
The Internet is a global network of networks enabling
computers of all kinds to directly and transparently
communicate and share services throughout much of the
world. Because the Internet is an enormously valuable,
enabling capability for so many people and organiza-
tions, it also constitutes a shared global resource of
information, knowledge, and means of collaboration,
and cooperation among countless diverse communities.
HOW DOES THE INTERNET WORK? WHO OWNS IT?
Starting at the top, each country typically has one or
more backbone public internets which are connected to
each other through a variety of global arrangements. At
the regional and local levels, there are tens of thousands
of organizations of every conceivable kind that have
built their own enterprise internets and connected them
to national backbones. Most of the networks are oper-
ated by organizations that either provide Internet access
to internal staff or specialize in providing widespread
public access to end-users.
There are basically two kinds of access provided :
o host access where end-users connect their computers
to become part of the Internet, or
o terminal access where end users connect to a host
computer which is directly connected to the Internet.
The computer terminal itself is not directly connected.
The latter is the kind of service provided by nearly every
public Email service provider to millions of people.
Increasingly, new access providers are starting to offer
Internet host access and an array of other services for
computers that range from PCs to a mainframes.
There are now more than 30,000 networks intercon-
nected by the global Internet - which is literally collec-
tively owned by thousands of private commercial and
public organizations. The global international organi-
zation for Internet coordination and cooperation is the
Internet Society.
HOW BIG IS THE INTERNET?
At April 1994, the Internet consisted of more
than 30,000 networks in 71 countries. Gateways that
allow at least Email connectivity extend this reach to 146
countries. At the end of 1993, 2.217 million computers
were measured as actually reachable - with an estimated
total of 20 million users. Network growth continues at
around 10 percent per month.
WHAT INTERNET SERVICES EXIST? WHAT CAN I DO?
Internet access is provided over almost any medium
from simple telephone dialup to satellites or extremely
high speed optical fiber connections.
Internet services number in the hundreds, and depend
upon a combination of the access computer software and
the available bandwidth. The most common services are
file transfer, Email and fax messaging, and remote
computer access. Other popular services include:
information browsing using Gopher and World Wide
Web; automatic information delivery via Distribution
Lists and Netnews; information searching with WAIS,
Archie, Veronica or even automatic agents such as
Knowbotr programs; real-time written interactions
using Talk or Internet Relay Chat and packet audio and
video conferencing using, for example, CUSeeMe;
directory lookup services to discover the network
addresses of people and computers; or even multicast-
ing of audio and video programs such as Internet Talk
Radio and replay service.
Perhaps the ultimate value of the Internet, however, is
enabling communication among millions of people and
organizations who can be reached through the network,
or who provide abundant and diverse information and
software on Internet computer servers. For many pro-
fessional, business, educational, and governmental
activities today, the Internet is a indispensable tool.
HOW DID THE INTERNET HAPPEN?
The Internet technology and networks were originally
developed by the research arm of the USA Department
of Defense to provide robust interconnection of its
information resources and researchers. During the
1980s, the technology and networks were adopted by
other government agencies and countries, as well as the
private business sector. Today, internet technology and
the Internet have found massive acceptance and use by
tens of thousands of organizations around the world.
WHAT ARE THE ECONOMICS OF THE INTERNET?
The Internet makes use of extremely cost effective
arrangements where Internet capacity is usually pur-
chased at dedicated unmetered flat rates based on
bandwidth, or at metered dialup rates. The network
transport technology is also highly cost effective because
it uses "connectionless" techniques to share capacity.
WHERE IS THE INTERNET GOING?
The Internet today is growing exponentially worldwide.
Simple easy-to-use software and inexpensive access to
the general public over nearly every telecommunications
medium are becoming widely available. Almost every
conceivable non-profit and for-profit use is underway or
being envisioned. The Internet's future rests with the
global Internet community and the Internet Society -
established in 1992 as the international organization for
coordination and cooperation of the Internet and its
technologies and applications.
Internet Society
Email: <isoc@isoc.org>
Fax: +1 703 648 9887
Tel: +1 703 648 9888
Tel: 800 468 9707 (USA only)
Post:
Internet Society
12020 Sunrise Valley Dr. suite 270
Reston VA 22091
USA
FAQ 94-005 v.2.3
Copyright (c) 1994 Internet Society
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