Internet’s most used communication technology Ethernet celebrated its 40th birthday yesterday.
The technology was developed by Xerox Parc on May 22, 1973, inspired by a study by Robert Metcalfe for his PhD dissertation.
Back then Ethernet was referred to as Luminiferous Ether, or a completely passive medium for the propagation of electromagnetic waves.
Ethernet enables the sending of packets of information without collisions with incoming packets and is said to be the foundation for today’s world of high-speed communications.
With time Ethernet was able to edge out the systems of the time – ‘Token Ring’ and ‘Token Bus’ – favoured for its adaptability to the market and its use of the cheap twisted wiring pairing. By the end of 1980s it was the dominant technology.
Today it is rated among the technologies that impact day to day life on a global basis, according to the IEEE standards association website.
“With more than 1.2 billion ports shipped in 2012 alone, Ethernet ranks highly among those technologies that impact day-to-day life on a global basis. Data center networks, PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and now the smart grid, smart meters, personal medical devices, the Internet of Things, connected cars, and more – Ethernet touches them all in one way or another. And as Ethernet turns 40, it is poised for a new age of innovation,” reads a statement on the IEEE website.
