BITNET

In the early 1980s, the National Science Foundation (NSF) had several initiatives running to help spread the benefits of networking.

In 1981, universities came together to form BITNET, which allowed thousands of new users to experience innovations such as email and file transfers for the first time.

The BITNET protocols were eventually ported to non-IBM mainframe operating systems, and became particularly widely implemented under VAX/VMS, in addition to DECnet.

BITNET featured email and LISTSERV software, but predated the World Wide Web, the common use of FTP, and Gopher.

A gateway service called TRICKLE enabled users to request files from Internet FTP servers in 64 Kb UUencoded chunks.

BITNET's eligibility requirements limited exchange with commercial entities, including IBM itself, which made technical assistance and bug fixes difficult.

It spanned North America (in Canada it was known as NetNorth), Europe (as EARN),[4] Israel (as ISRAEARN),[5] India (VIDYANET)[6] and some Persian Gulf states (as GulfNet).