The Basics of the Internet
In the late 1990s, there were more than 10,000 Internet service providers (ISPs). More than half were located in the United States and provided local service, while the rest relied on national and regional ISPs to connect users. As the Internet grew, consolidation took place and many small to medium-sized providers merged with larger ones.
The Internet has become an essential part of modern life and many industries have been affected. In the financial and business world, internet-based services are changing supply chains across entire industries. People can now find anything they need with just a few clicks, making life much easier for everyone. However, excessive internet usage is affecting the health of many people.
The World Wide Web has also led to new forms of social interaction, association, and activity. There is even a scholarly discipline devoted to studying the effects of the Internet on society. The majority of the world’s population is using the Internet. The dominant language for online communication is English. Earlier computer systems used only ASCII characters for messages, limiting the ability to communicate in other languages.
The Internet is comprised of a large number of software layers and hardware components. These layers control various aspects of Internet architecture. The physical components of the Internet include routers and media. IP routers carry Internet packets and guide them to their destinations. The routing process involves several tiers of providers. During this process, a large portion of the information that reaches its destination is encrypted.
The origins of the Internet go back to the 1960s, when the U.S. government began building a computer network called ARPANET. The main objective was to ensure that communications between U.S. military organizations could be done in a timely manner in the event of war. ARPA contracted universities and companies to develop this technology. The ARPANET, also known as ARPATECH, linked major supercomputers in the U.S. This wide-scale network was initially used for military purposes but soon changed to a scientific purpose. In the 1980s, the network was turned over to the National Science Foundation and other commercial entities.
The Internet’s infrastructure is comprised of two main types of networks: wired and wireless. Computers and cell phones receive the signals from optical cables, while wireless internet is carried by electromagnetic waves. Wireless networks also utilize optical cables that are connected to routers. The router converts the light-induced signals into electrical signals that reach computers and cell phones.
The internet is technically accessible for everyone, but it varies from culture to culture. Accessibility depends on your financial and technological capabilities. Moreover, many websites and accounts are controlled by companies. For example, Facebook was founded by Harvard students in 2004, and is now used by almost half of the U.S. population. China, Brazil, and Japan have the most popular social networking sites.
