Editing History of the Internet (section)

===X.25 and public data networks===
{{Main|X.25|public data network}}

[[File:ABC Clarke predicts internet and PC.ogv|thumb|1974 interview with [[Arthur C. Clarke]] by the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], in which he describes a future of ubiquitous networked personal computers]]
Based on international research initiatives, particularly the contributions of [[Rémi Després]], packet switching network standards were developed by the [[International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee]] (ITU-T) in the form of [[X.25]] and related standards.<ref name=":11">{{Cite journal |last=Rybczynski |first=Tony |date=2009 |title=Commercialization of packet switching (1975–1985): A Canadian perspective [History of Communications] |journal=IEEE Communications Magazine |volume=47 |issue=12 |pages=26–31 |doi=10.1109/MCOM.2009.5350364 |s2cid=23243636 }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last=Schwartz|first=Mischa|date=2010|title=X.25 Virtual Circuits - TRANSPAC IN France - Pre-Internet Data Networking [History of communications]|journal=IEEE Communications Magazine|volume=48|issue=11|pages=40–46|doi=10.1109/MCOM.2010.5621965|s2cid=23639680 }}</ref> X.25 is built on the concept of [[virtual circuit]]s emulating traditional telephone connections. In 1974, X.25 formed the basis for the SERCnet network between British academic and research sites, which later became [[JANET]], the United Kingdom's high-speed [[national research and education network]] (NREN). The initial ITU Standard on X.25 was approved in March 1976.<ref>{{cite web|author=tsbedh |url=http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com17/history.html |title=History of X.25, CCITT Plenary Assemblies and Book Colors |publisher=Itu.int |access-date=June 5, 2009}}</ref> Existing networks, such as [[Telenet]] in the United States adopted X.25 as well as new [[public data network]]s, such as [[DATAPAC]] in Canada and [[Packet switching#TRANSPAC|TRANSPAC]] in France.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":12" /> [[X.25]] was supplemented by the [[X.75]] protocol which enabled internetworking between national PTT networks in Europe and commercial networks in North America.<ref>{{harvnb|Davies|Bressan|2010|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=DN-t8MpZ0-wC&pg=PA2 2, 9]}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Ikram |first1=Nadeem |date=1985 |title=Internet Protocols and a Partial Implementation of CCITT X.75 |id={{OCLC|663449435|1091194379}} |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/678d6e16a1f0ac0470e12db67623ce91/1 |page=2 |quote=Two main approaches to internetworking have come into existence based upon the virtual circuit and the datagram services. The vast majority of the work on interconnecting networks falls into one of these two approaches: The CCITT X.75 Recommendation; The DoD Internet Protocol (IP).}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Unsoy |first1=Mehmet S. |last2=Shanahan |first2=Theresa A. |date=1981 |title=X.75 internetworking of Datapac and Telenet |journal=ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=232–239 |doi=10.1145/1013879.802679 }}</ref>

The [[Post Office Telecommunications|British Post Office]], [[Western Union|Western Union International]], and [[Tymnet]] collaborated to create the first international packet-switched network, referred to as the [[International Packet Switched Service]] (IPSS), in 1978. This network grew from Europe and the US to cover Canada, Hong Kong, and Australia by 1981. By the 1990s it provided a worldwide networking infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |title=Events in British Telecomms History |work=Events in British TelecommsHistory |url=http://www.sigtel.com/tel_hist_brief.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030405153523/http://www.sigtel.com/tel_hist_brief.html |archive-date=April 5, 2003 |access-date=November 25, 2005}}</ref>

Unlike ARPANET, X.25 was commonly available for business use. [[Telenet]] offered its Telemail electronic mail service, which was also targeted to enterprise use rather than the general email system of the ARPANET.

The first public dial-in networks used asynchronous [[teleprinter]] (TTY) terminal protocols to reach a concentrator operated in the public network. Some networks, such as [[Telenet]] and [[CompuServe]], used X.25 to multiplex the terminal sessions into their packet-switched backbones, while others, such as [[Tymnet]], used proprietary protocols. In 1979, CompuServe became the first service to offer [[e-mail|electronic mail]] capabilities and technical support to personal computer users. The company broke new ground again in 1980 as the first to offer [[online chat|real-time chat]] with its [[CB Simulator]]. Other major dial-in networks were [[America Online]] (AOL) and [[Prodigy (ISP)|Prodigy]] that also provided communications, content, and entertainment features.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Council|first1=National Research|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jh1pORpfvrQC&pg=PA148|title=The Unpredictable Certainty: White Papers|last2=Sciences|first2=Division on Engineering and Physical|last3=Board|first3=Computer Science and Telecommunications|last4=Applications|first4=Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and|last5=Committee|first5=NII 2000 Steering|date=1998-02-05|publisher=National Academies Press|isbn=978-0-309-17414-5|language=en}}</ref> Many [[bulletin board system]] (BBS) networks also provided on-line access, such as [[FidoNet]] which was popular amongst hobbyist computer users, many of them [[hacker]]s and [[amateur radio operator]]s.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}