Supercomputer centre to support the forerunner of internet

The Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center was opened on 9 June 1986 thirty years ago with the aim to support the forerunner of modern internet, the network of the National Science Foundation (NSFNET). The centre connected five other supercomputer centres: Princeton University, Pittsburgh, University of California in San Diego, University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and Cornell University.

The centre was constructed between 1985 and 1986, and the network (which was named NSFNET ) was linked with ARPANET. The NSFNET was expanded a number of times (optical fibre cables were lain, new lines were created, as a result of which the initial speed of 56 kbps increased to 45 Mbps) and it is still the predominant backbone network in the USA.

Not much later several regional networks were developed. ARPANET formally discontinued in 1989 to be replaced by more advanced backbone networks. The government of the United States transferred pieces of the ARPANET to NFSNET.

The National Science Foundation allowed commercial use of the internet in 1991 for the first time.

Source: www.computerhistory.org/tdih/June/9