Histories of National and Alternative Networks
While the standard accounts of Internet history originally focused on key US project and figures starting with ARPANET, multiple alternatives and “other networks” were proposed and developed. This collection of articles addresses accounts of networked systems and internetworking projects that predated, grew alongside, or were proposed as alternatives to the present-day global Internet. These papers, that mostly cover the period between the 60s and the 90s, explore histories of networks serving local communities and national populations, focusing on projects developed in non-English, non-Western and Global South contexts. They provide a very rich history of networked communications, both less US-centric, and characterized by diversity, early experiences, and controversies, demonstrating that the path to the Internet is complex, far from linear, with different timelines, communities, genealogies and approaches globally. It also emphasizes political, legal, cultural, and economic factors that influence the adoption and appropriation of networks.