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In Jan 89 I registered with the DDN NIC and got a Class B address for the whole BBC on the pretext of linking all BBC sites into one network and then the Internet (but a dream then) it seemed a good idea rather than make up addresses as lots used to do).
I started Internet access as bbc.uucp, mid 89, before but a wealthy few and universities had permanent connections. Our dial UUCP access was via Brunel University as the only sellor of connections in the UK at that time - UKnet (an alias for Kent University)- wouldn't sell us a connection as we weren't able to let other sites dial us for their connection (the net at that time was mostly a coopertive you dial us we'll dial you affair).
At that time just Development group had access to the net. Later we put a link into Kingswood and fed the then Research Department (jul 92).
In Oct 90 UKnet upgraded the UK link to Amsterdam (the link to the rest of the net from 9600 to 64K, we upgraded our modem from 1200 to 2400 (everything, USENET & mail included went across that). USENET was getting big as it grew to 10000+ nodes, worldwide.
Mid 91 EUnet decided to follow the Americans and join the DNS and the uk top level domain was created, adminstered by NRS (the academic Name Registration Service).
I registered bbc.co.uk with NRS, the UK academic naming body, in Oct 91. At that time we were TOLD by NRS that we should be registered in the UK (that was all they were prepared to let us do) and to prove I really represented the BBC and wasn't trying to spoof the domain the application form had be signed by a director of the company. In this case I had the form signed by Mr C. Dennay, Director of Engineering at the time. I still have a copy of that.
JANET started an experimental TCP/IP network alongside/overlaying their X25 network, that and Specialix getting a leased line to UKnet made the first links of the Internet in the UK.
They soon started to sell leased line access, charging 20K plus BT charges for 64K. At that price I still couldn't get enough money out of various departments to put in a leased line connection. They were still charging for international mail at 7.5p per kilobyte and gave billing down to every user who sent mail (there were few enough for that to be possible). No 10Mbyte screen savers were mailed around :-)
In mid 92 Pipex were getting started and offered leased line access at a more reasonable 10K per annum (they had a _big_ 64K line to the States and another to JANET so it was looking good). I still couldn't get the money but by Jan 93 we were getting close, I managed to get Pipex accepted as a viable alternative (there was suspicion about how they could be half the price of UKnet) as they went from zero to fifty customers in that 6 months. We got the 64K leased line.
Then it grew...
1994
Apr - approx www.bbc.co.uk started, mostly regional IT playing
along with us, some studio info up (Aberdeen did
a guide to their site), some OUPC stuff.
Jun - BBC Networking Club started and hoovered those we'd
been coaxing to provide content
Sep - our first E Commerce service. Caversham delivered their
trascription service via our ftp server, at it's peak
(they got their own line as they had so much fun they
wanted to play themselves) had 122 accounts (including loads
of FBI bureaus around the world) taking daily updates from
a selection of 12 feeds.
1995
Feb - Westminster Online web site for Live TV programme,
was first to allow on air feedback - IRC chat, email
also had Caversham and Aberdeen web sites
Sep - first foreign language site - Hungarian
Oct - UUNET upgrade to 2M
Radio3 Facing the Radio - live programme on R3 & real audio
with our 1st studio web cam (pushed images). Programme
was made up of audience supplied content - they left
stuff over previous weeks on our ftp server (audio, midi
etc)
1996
Jan - Andrew Neil show (sucessor to Westonline), 1st Real Audio,
same idea but the programme sound was broadcast on the net
Jun - Radio 1 site launches, a technical disaster. The next day
we unraveled it from the entirely dynamic database
driven system (the bit that kept falling over) and made
them a static site.
Radio1 also started streaming, built stream server in
THDO on VBCnet link, unusual in that they let us use 2M
but provided it on a 10M carrier so we could
burst/upgrade as needed. Went on to do 30+ live
programmes per week (around 80 hours) all plyed on
demand until next live tx. Lots of OB's - New Years ever
parties, Glastonbury, had ticker fed by RDS saying who
is on air
Aug - party conferences site with audio (feed from conferences,
wall to wall coverage, no programme breaks unlike on air)
Nov - Budget, demonstrated huge growth potential of events
1997 gets busy -
Mar - given 4 weeks to build THNY mirror site and upgrade THDO
for election. Only funding is for ISP b/w, machines mostly
scrounged.
- Started by upgrading THDO site (to 10M on 100M bearer)
Apr - 3 weeks later installed NY site (10M on 45M bearer)
May - 2nd election, biggest site ever (volume and size - approx
8000 pages built automatically from a 3 day CPS built in
Oracle that turned live Ceefax and Election system feeds
into html for each constituency and candidate)
follow on politics97 site, News felt the pressure to do
something as CNN & co were doing well. For lack of
another other readily available content and their only
people with experience were from the Election &
Political sites they did this to keep things going
whilst they had another team work on a full news site.
Jun - Hong Hong handover, our first live Real Video stream
- another budget, bigger every time
start of lots of meeting to determine BOL/News server
infrastructure, no agreement
Aug - Diana died, called out to set up coverage, organised
multi ISP cooperative webcast of funeral the following
weekend. News realise it's big and have to do something
about a site soon (had been dithering for 18 months this
demonstrated need & got management backing)
Sep - more party conferences, video too
- after months of meetings agreed to only option is to
give us money to Sort out new servers/ISP upgrades for
BOL/perhaps News but have to be live for mid Oct
Oct - Built net access service mirror at Telehouse Livepool St
Upgraded THDO (to 100M) & THNY (to 30M) and new servers
Nov - after extra delays News launch and then BOL (though
they weren't ready so made it a soft launch)
Dec - BOL really launch
Streamed Queen's broadcast live
1998
more events (Glastonbury, Cricket, Golf) but BOL mostly
stagnate and fail to launch any significant sites. Also
dabble determining their own technology only to eventually
come back to where we started them (some got more public
before failing, like forums)
Apr - 24x7 Arabic stream for World Service in case war breaks out
again. Ended up leaving it on forever, though no war, as
too popular
Jul - THLS added PSI 4M circuit
Nov - News UUNET infrastructure not performing, asked to build
NY mirror to our plan.
1999
Jan - UUNET upgrade to 8M
- World Service GDS sat feed into KW for more stream feeds
Mar - additional 4 tie lines to Bush House for additional
language streams