The Internet is a unique...

The Internet is a unique part of the existing national information infrastructure because of the following characteristics :

1. It is an open architecture, meaning that one computer system can connect to others simply by adhering to the TCP/IP standards. It is not necessary for users of one computer system to use the same hardware or software as another computing system with which they wish to communicate, or even to know the nature of the hardware and software in the other system.

2. It is a distributed architecture, meaning that different parts of the eventual bundle of information content and related services desired by users may be supplied by different Internet nodes, operated by different persons or entities.

3. Although institutions connecting to the Internet must pay for their own hardware, software, and communications lines, there is no charge for access to other nodes on the Internet nor, with rare exceptions, to information resources made available through those nodes.

4. Historically the vast majority of Internet users were members of institutions like universities that had Internet connections and such users are not charged directly for Internet usage. Now the Internet is evolving to accommodate pay-as-you-go use.