[ih] Nit-picking an origin story

[Vint Cerf]

lars is correct
v


On Sun, Aug 24, 2025 at 8:25 AM Lars Brinkhoff via Internet-history <
internet-history at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

> Jack Haverty wrote:
> > Performance was also an issue as the ARPANET grew and traffic
> > increased.  One of the limiting factors to performance was the routing
> > algorithm.   Packets were always sent on the "shortest" path.   But
> > that meant that the aggregate performance was also limited to
> > 56kb/sec, which was the maximum line speed of any path.
>
> I beleve the correct number is 50,000 bits/second.
>
> ARPANET Information Brochure, from 1980.
> "The complete network is formed by interconnecting the nodes through
> wideband communication lines, normally 50,000 bits per second (50KBPS),
> supplied by common carriers."
> https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA096798.pdf#page=19
>
> BBN Report 1928, from 1970.
> "In the last quarter, we designed and implemented a test program to
> obtain data on the performance of the fifty kilobit communication
> circuits"
>
> http://bärwolff.de/bbn-arpanet-reports-collection/BBN%20(1970)%20Interface%20Message%20Processors%20for%20the%20ARPA%20Computer%20Network%20(Report%201928,%20Quarterly%20Technical%20Report%204).pdf#page=10
> <http://xn--brwolff-5wa.de/bbn-arpanet-reports-collection/BBN%20(1970)%20Interface%20Message%20Processors%20for%20the%20ARPA%20Computer%20Network%20(Report%201928,%20Quarterly%20Technical%20Report%204).pdf#page=10>
>
> This was due to the Bell/Western Electric 303C wideband modem using a
> group service of 12 voice circuits.
>
> https://bitsavers.org/communications/westernElectric/modems/303_Wideband_Data_Stations_Technical_Reference_Aug66.pdf#page=6
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