FCC Introduces Internet History Exhibit

The FCC introduced the third in a series of exhibits on the history of various communications technologies. The new exhibit focuses on the history of the Internet, including the communication technologies used to access the Internet.
In 1966 that the FCC first indicated its interest in the emerging integration of computers and communications with a Notice of Inquiry commonly called Computer 1. This, and the subsequent Computer II and Computer III proceedings, established the distinction that remains today between regulated telecommunications services and unregulated information services. Nearly forty years later, market forces have driven the Internet’s growth, and the FCC played a role in carving out an environment in which the Internet could flourish.
The new Web site (http://www.fcc.gov/omd/history) briefly covers the public needs that led to the development of the Internet, the common standards that underpin the Internet, and the underlying communications that made the Internet possible. From the site, pictures of the related exhibit and display cases found in the FCC’s headquarters building can be accessed.
Previously the commission has displayed radio and TV exhibits.