Internet history – period of initial development Considering the early packet-switched networks and the first ARPANET connections, the Internet was initially developed in which period?

Introduction / Context:
The Internet grew from research into packet switching and inter-networking. Distinguishing the era of origin helps trace protocol evolution from NCP to TCP/IP and the later Web explosion.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We interpret “developed” as initial creation and deployment of ARPANET links forming the basis of internetworking.
• The first ARPANET node went live in 1969.
• TCP/IP standardization and the Web came later.

Concept / Approach:
The seminal milestone was the late 1960s with ARPANET commissioning and the first message between UCLA and Stanford in 1969. While protocols matured in the 1970s and the Web emerged in the 1990s, the origin period is the late 1960s.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify the first operational packet-switched academic network: ARPANET.Recall the 1969 commissioning date.Select the matching period: Late 1960s.

Verification / Alternative check:
Histories of the Internet timeline reference 1969 for the initial ARPANET nodes and 1973–1974 for early TCP/IP papers, reinforcing late 1960s as the development period.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Early 1970s: protocol research continued, but the first deployment started earlier.
• Late 1980s / Early 1990s: growth phases (commercial ISPs, the Web), not initial development.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating the birth of the Web (1990s) with the birth of the Internet. The Internet predates the Web by decades.

Final Answer:
Late 1960s