"I P on everything."

That is the slogan on the infamous t-shirt of MCI executive Dr. Vint Cerf, one of the original architects of the Internet in 1973.

"IP," of course, stands for the 2d part of TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). The motive for Dr. Cerf's brandishing it on his shirt, beginning in 1991, was that at the time there was a controversy about which protocol would become the Internet standard.

Cerf (quoted in Boardwatch magazine, August, 1996), dramatized his re-affirmation of IP at the 1992 meeting of the Internet Architecture Board by stripping off his coat, tie, vest and dress shirt, startling the assembly with the famous phrase on his t-shirt.

Luckily, we users needn't concern ourselves with such arcana as protocols. As long as we can connect reliably to the Internet and minimize online waiting, we're satisfied. But the "world wide wait" seems to get longer, despite modem speeds of 28.8kbps (kilobits per second) or, if we're lucky and have good, clean phone lines, 33.6kbps.

ISDN (integrated services digital network; NNN January 4) is one available method to increase throughput. Another technology on the horizon, ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line), uses existing phone lines to expand capacity up to 50 times. Unfortunately, ADSL remains an expensive solution which is unlikely to become a practical alternative in the near future.

Cable modems are being deployed in a few markets. Theoretically, cable bandwidth (carrying capacity) can be up to 1,000 times that of POTS (plain old telephone service). A file that takes an hour to download with a 28.8 modem might be done in 30 seconds via cable.

In practice, the picture is less rosy. The cable infrastructure was created as a one-way transmission system, from the provider to you. Upgrading cable to a two-way system is a huge, expensive task. In the meantime, uploading is via a regular modem.

Cable companies are not known for devotion to customer service. Can they deal with technical support of thousands of new Internet users? Unlike conventional ISPs (Internet service providers), who are driven by competition, cable operators enjoy market monopolies, with all that implies. Chicago cable Internet service is not imminent.

The folks who brought us satellite tv service now offer Internet access. Though a one-way system like cable, at least satellite is available today. Satellite transmission requires clear southern exposure for your dish, which may be a problem in an urban environment. See http://www.direcpc.com.

Remember that the Internet is a network of networks. High-speed, high bandwidth access improves only the first link in the chain, between you and your ISP. Further weak links are slow, overloaded servers at the other end -- the sites you want to access -- and overloaded routers, which direct those millions of data packets to the right address.

In light of all this, a pessimist might interpret Cerf's slogan more crudely. But I'm an IP optimist.

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