Early involvement of ISU and UI with the Internet

Iowa State University (ISU) and the University of Iowa (UI) were early participants in the NSFNet phase of the Internet. Several institutions of higher education, including ISU and UI, came together in 1987 and formed MIDnet, which was an NSF sponsored regional (mid-level) network. MIDnet, subsequently known as Global Internet and now purchased by Verio , was one of the earliest operating regional networks. In 1989, CICnet formed to provide service to the institutions making up the CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation, a 40-year-old consortium of the Big 10 universities, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago). As a member of the CIC, the UI was a founding member of CICNet and converted to using CICNet as its Internet access supplier.

ISU provided leadership for the MIDnet in all three of its phases - the early grant, non-profit, and privatized phases - supplying continuing administrative and technical assistance and two of the chairpersons of its Board of Directors. UI has served on the administrative and technical committees of the early MIDnet and of CICnet.

Originally, all Midnet circuits were DS0 (56 Kbps). When a DS1 (1.536 Mbps) circuit was feasible and the NSFnet backbone accommodated it, one was installed between ISU and MIDnet. Since CICnet was established with DS1 connectivity as a standard, UI was DS1 connected to CICnet. The research communities were early adopters of Internet and made much use of the Internet connection. Later the Internet would achieve the broad scale acceptance that has resulted in the serious congestion now seen by the research communities.

Maintained by grpjl@iastate.edu. Last changed 18-Jun-2007.