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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  Contact:  June  10,  2004  Audrey  Spivack  202-  418-  0512 
 FCC  INTRODUCES  NEW  EXHIBIT  ON  HISTORY  OF  THE  INTERNET 
 Washington,  D.  C.  --  The  FCC  today  introduced  the  third  in  a  series  of  exhibits  on  the  history  of  various  communications  technologies.  The  new  exhibit  focuses  on  the  history  of  the  Internet, 
 including  the  communication  technologies  used  to  access  the  Internet. 
 Although  the  popular  perception  is  that  the  Internet  is  a  relatively  new  phenomenon,  its  roots  go  back  to  the  early  1960s.  It  was  in  1966  that  the  FCC  first  indicated  its  interest  in  the 
 emerging  integration  of  computers  and  communications  with  a  Notice  of  Inquiry  commonly  called  Computer  1.  This,  and  the  subsequent  Computer  II  and  Computer  III  proceedings, 
 established  the  distinction  that  remains  today  between  regulated  telecommunications  services  and  unregulated  information  services.  Nearly  forty  years  later,  market  forces  have  driven  the 
 Internet’s  growth,  and  the  FCC  played  an  important  role  in  carving  out  a  deregulatory  environment  in  which  the  Internet  could  flourish. 


 The  new  web  site  (http://  www.  fcc.  gov/  omd/  history)  briefly  covers  the  public  needs  that  led  to  the  development  of  the  Internet,  the  common  standards  that  underpin  the  Internet,  and  the 
 underlying  communications  that  made  the  Internet  possible.  From  the  web  site,  pictures  of  the  related  exhibit  and  display  cases  found  in  the  FCC’s  headquarters  building  can  also  be  accessed 
 from  the  web  site. 
 The  exhibits,  displays,  and  web  site  of  the  FCC’s  history  project  are  designed  to  highlight  the  rich  technological  heritage  that  underlies  today’s  vibrant  communications  marketplace. 


 Office  of  Managing  Director  contact:  Karen  Wheeless  202-  418-  2910  or  Renee  Licht  at  202-  418-  2604. 


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