one shouldn't forget that computer networking was once not a favorable thing to do.

xerox memo of the month, march 5 1974. to bob metcalf and dave boggs:

I have read with dismay your presentation "Draft Ethernet Overview". As i am sure you are aware, technically or conceptually there is nothing new in your proposal ... The fallacy in your conception is that the stations should be transmitting randomly ... You should seriously study how the telephone companies handle this problem ...

At this moment a coherent generally accepted European telecommunication – or information – policy does not exist! | keynote by jansen van rosendaal, director CEC, Dir. Gen, XIII-B, 12. may 1983

well, 30 years later ...

title xii, trans-european networks maastricht treaty, 1991

... It shall take account in particular of the need to link island, landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the Community.

this lead to collaboration and call for candidates to "validate the technical feasibility and economic viability of advanced communication.

trials include: - citizen network (health care, social services, transport, education/training, telecommunication
- network of competence and science (including high performance computing)
- industry network (addressing the needs of service industries with particular reference of the needs of equal access to services throughout europe)
- administrative network (providing for the provision of cost-effective administrative services to the citizens and business throughout europe
- media network (providing for the development of general purpose dial-up video services and interactive multimedia services based on digital video)

call for proposals launched: august 1993. as result 14 proposals received in total. (a number a lot of applicants would love to deal with today) exercise done solely for developing guidelines for the future, and as done in the 80s and 70s, to build relationships and to get known each other.

- develop ibc trial specifications, establish and run common interest groups (cig) for assessing their specifications with end-users feedback, building up relationships with the network operators, assess cost/benefits for the end-users, ... | interoperability in broadband networks ...