A significant building block in Internet history is being celebrated with a symposium and celebratory event this week from November 29-30 in Arlington, Virginia. Scientists, scholars, technologists, business leaders and educators are gathering to celebrate the NSFNET, a program of networking projects funded by the National Science Foundation beginning in 1985.

The theme of the November event, "The Partnership That Changed the World," points to the NSFNET's signature integration of public and private resources: a collaboration of academic, commercial and governmental institutions working toward a single goal. The sum of those efforts, greater than any organization could have achieved on its own, led to technical, operational and academic advancements that have had immense influence on modern life. Online registration is still available and walk-in registrations will be accepted for the symposium. For those unable to attend in person, a full Webcast of the Event will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, November 29. Several types of video streams will be available. Information is available at:
its Web site. On the days of the Webcast, that page will have links to the active video streams. Full information about the event, including the complete program agenda, are available at:
its Web site. At the event, participants will discuss the NSFNET's history, celebrate its contributions, and consider the major impact the Internet has had on science, education, research and commerce. The program includes speakers and panelists who directed the NSFNET program, did research and scholarship across the network, and built services and businesses in the resulting network economy. The event is planned by a group of NSFNET program leaders, with organizational support from Merit Network and Internet2. Sponsors include Advanced Network & Services, Inc., Cisco Systems, IBM, Juniper Networks and the National Science Foundation. For more information, visit:
its Web site.