Chapter 10 - A Global Information Infrastructure
- Introduction
- Existing Infrastructure
New infrastructure makes new industries possible; the interstate highway system provides an example.
- Communication Infrastructure
- Postal Mail Service
The modern postal mail service adopted the notion of universal delivery and made it available to all. Any individual can send a letter to any other individual.
- Telegraph
The telegraph changed the basic communication infrastructure because it introduced high-speed message delivery.
- Telephone
Telephones changed the communication infrastructure by extending communication services to individual homes and offices, and by providing the instantaneous communication needed for interactive conversations.
- The Current Approach
- The Internet Was Designed To Be General
Because the basic INternet communication facilities are both general-purpose and efficient, almost any network application can use the Internet.
- The Internet Offers Diverse Information Services
The Internet offers a wide variety of services. Most of the services currently available had not been invented when the Internet was designed.
- TCP/IP Provides Communication Facilities
The Internet is a global information infrastructure. Although it offers many services, the Internet's chief advantage lies in the design of TCP/IP software that has accommodated changes in computers, networks, and services.
