The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) developed by ARPA of the United States Department of Defense was the world's first operational packet switching network, and the progenitor of the global Internet.
Packet switching, now the dominant basis for both data and voice communication worldwide, was a new and important concept in data communications. Previously, data communications was based on the idea of circuit switching, as in the old typical telephone circuit, where a dedicated circuit is tied up for the duration of the call and communication is only possible with the single party on the other end of the circuit.
With packet switching, a system could use one communication link to communicate with more than one machine by assembling data into packets. Not only could the link be shared (much as a single mail person can be used to post letters to different destinations), but each packet could be routed independently of other packets. This was a major advance.
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It's progress at its best. Because of packets, we can now search the Web and talk on the phone, and get this all from one service. VoIP is a testament to the packet based way of sending information. It lowers the cost of talking long distance. And now telephone companies use packets to transfer calls, but not completely...only wherever it's applicable. But sloly, I'm sure they will change their entire infrastructure to convert analog signal to digital all the way, to reap the benefits of its ease and efficiency.
My parents actually sent email messages back and forth to each other while they were dating in college using the ARPAnet. My mother was on the east coast at MIT and my father was out here on the west coast at 'SC. Of course, it wasn't called email then...
Man, look at what we got now, from ARPANET to Worldwide Net. Thanks to ARPANET I can write this comment on your blog.
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