Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 4 hrs ago
TCP/IP remains the foundation of global networking
TCP/IP is the set of protocols that allows devices and networks around the world to communicate.
Its roots go back to a 1974 paper by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, and ARPANET switched to TCP/IP in 1983.
The system separates IP, which moves packets between addresses without guarantees, from TCP, which puts data in order and retransmits missing parts.
That separation means other protocols can use IP alongside TCP, rather than replacing it.
Homa is one such alternative, designed to ease network congestion.
TCP/IP’s open and flexible design helped it outlast competing systems and support the growth of the internet.
TCP/IP remains the foundation of global networking, connecting devices and carrying internet traffic.
Its open design allows alternative protocols to run alongside TCP rather than requiring TCP/IP to be replaced.
The article says TCP/IP prevailed over rival networking systems including IBM’s SNA and ATM.
ARPANET switched from NCP to TCP/IP on January 1, 1983.
The article describes TCP/IP as flexible and built through consensus among engineers.
- Who
- TCP/IP and the engineers who developed and adopted it. The article names Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn as authors of the seminal 1974 paper.
- What
- TCP/IP remains the basis of global networking. A congestion-easing protocol called Homa is described as an alternative to TCP, not a replacement.
- When
- TCP/IP was adopted across ARPANET on January 1, 1983. The article was published on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- Across the internet and global networks; the article also discusses the ARPANET switch.
- Why
- Its open, flexible design lets networks and protocols interoperate, and allows alternatives to TCP to run alongside it.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
everything talks to everything over TCP/IP
TCP/IP is still newsworthy.
Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn published a 13-page paper describing the design for internetworking.
ARPANET switched from NCP to TCP/IP.
The columnist began implementing TCP/IP for a low-cost local area network.
The Register published an article celebrating TCP/IP’s role in global networking.
- ARPANET switch
- January 1, 1983
- Foundational paper
- 1974, by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn
- Rival protocols
- IBM’s SNA and ATM
- Alternative protocol
- Homa, designed to run alongside TCP
- Article publication
- 2026-10-12, The Register
Sources
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