INTERNET BACKBONE

Domain	Definition
Computing	Internet backbone High-speed networks that carry Internet traffic. These communications networks are provided by companies such as AT&T, GTE, IBM, MCI, Netcom, Sprint, UUNET and consist of high-speed links in the T1, T3, OC1 and OC3 ranges. The backbones carry Internet traffic around the world and meet at Network Access Points (NAPs). Internet Service Providers (ISPs) connect either directly to a backbone, or they connect to a larger ISP with a connection to a backbone. The topology of the "backbone" and its interconnections may once have resembled a spine with ribs connected along its length but is now almost certainly more like a fishing net wrapped around the world with many circular paths. [Map?] (1998-07-02). Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Internet backbone

The Internet backbone was the central network that linked all the parts of the Internet together. The term is now used as a loose term to describe the "core" of the current Internet.

The original Internet backbone was the ARPANET.

In 1989 the NSFNet backbone was established, the US military broke off as a separate MILNET network, and the ARPANET was shut down.

A plan was then developed for first expanding NSFNet further, prior to rendering it obsolete by creating a new network architecture based on decentralized routing. (to be written: creation of the NAPs, EGP)

With the decommissioning of the NSFNet Internet backbone network on April 30 1995, the Internet now consists entirely of the various commercial ISPs and private networks, as connected at their peering points.

The term "Internet backbone" is now sometimes loosely used to refer to the inter-provider links and peering points. However, with the universal use of the BGP routing protocol, the Internet functions with no single central network at all.

With the advent of the dot-com bust of 2002, a number of major telecommunications carriers are threatened by bankruptcy, and some failed completely: for example, the EBONE network was decomissioned in its entirety. This was a successful test of the level of fault-tolerance and redundancy of the Internet.

External link

Goodbye to the NSFNET

Non-Fiction Usage: INTERNET BACKBONE

Subject	Topic	Quote
Business		Infocom offers dial up and dedicated connections to a 4Mbit/s link to the Internet backbone, including a direct connection to Teleglobe International. (references)
		According to Infoline, InfoSat service offers high-speed Internet access, IP (Internet Protocol) multicasting and push services, via the PAS-4 satellite, which looks into the U.S. Internet backbone. (references)
Economic History	Ireland	This is being achieved through the Global Crossing project that will connect Ireland to the main U.S. Internet backbone. (references)
	Mauritius	A new high-speed link at 2Mbps has been opened with the United States, bringing the total bandwidth to 4Mbps on the internet backbone. (references)
	Ireland	Ireland is connected to the main U.S. Internet backbone and with a 36-city European network via Global Crossing's undersea Atlantic cable. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.