The document provides an introduction to the history and workings of the Internet. It discusses:
- The Internet began in 1969 as ARPANET to connect computers at universities and the defense department. NSFNET further expanded connectivity in the 1980s mainly for research.
- The Internet works using gateways that connect different networks and backbones that act as the central infrastructure connecting networks.
- Various organizations govern different aspects of the Internet such as architecture, engineering tasks, and administration.
- The World Wide Web allows for multimedia and hyperlinked documents to be created and displayed over the Internet using protocols, standards, and programs. It is widely used today.