--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By 1988, I'm seeing this commercial…" description: "\"By 1988, I'm seeing this commercial phenomenon beginning to show up. Hardware makers are selling routers to universities so they can build up their cam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/vint-cerf-8158_beginning_by-1988-i-m-seeing-this-commercial-pheno_467735.jpg" --- # By 1988, I'm seeing this commercial phenomenon beginning… ![“By 1988, I'm seeing this commercial phenomenon beginning to show up. Hardware makers are selling routers to universities so they can build up their campus networks. So I remember thinking, 'Well, how are we going to get this in the hands of the general public?' There were no public Internet…” quote by Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/vint-cerf-8158_beginning_by-1988-i-m-seeing-this-commercial-pheno_467735.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/vint-cerf-8158_beginning_by-1988-i-m-seeing-this-commercial-pheno_467735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/vint-cerf-8158_beginning_by-1988-i-m-seeing-this-commercial-pheno_467735.jpg) > “By 1988, I'm seeing this commercial phenomenon beginning to show up. Hardware makers are selling routers to universities so they can build up their campus networks. So I remember thinking, 'Well, how are we going to get this in the hands of the general public?' There were no public Internet services at that point.” [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early internet developers foresaw the need for public access, recognizing routers as gateways for broader adoption. **In simple terms:** Early vision of making internet technology available to everyone. Key Takeaway Promote open, accessible network infrastructure. Themes technology diffusion public access networking Mood optimistic determined Type technical visionary When to use this quote - policy advocacy - education programs - community networks - startup incubators Key Concepts infrastructure digital divide Questions to Reflect On - What policies can accelerate public internet access? - How can communities overcome infrastructure costs? A Different Perspective Technical hurdles and cost can limit widespread rollout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build/) [Campus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campus/) [Campus Networks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campus-networks-4050177/) [Commercial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commercial/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general/) [General public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-public/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hardware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardware/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [I remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-remember/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Makers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makers/) [Networks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/networks/) [Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon/) [Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point/) [Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public/) [Public Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-internet-2109559/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Routers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/routers-883284/) [Routers Universities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/routers-universities-4050176/) [Seeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeing/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Selling Routers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-routers-4050178/) [Services](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/services/) [Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Universities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universities/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) ## Related quotes > [The idea that Google, Yahoo, and eBay are getting a free ride is absolutely unfair criticism. We have to build out our own infrastructure.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/the-idea-that-google-yahoo-and-ebay-are-getting-a-free-ride-is/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [I'm am not a great man I am just a man who has ideas and forces them on to the public via the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/i-m-am-not-a-great-man-i-am-just-a-man-who-has-ideas-and-forces-them/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Public blockchains are almost like the public Internet, which is open and widely accessible. If you can get on the Internet, you will likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mougayar/public-blockchains-are-almost-like-the-public-internet-which-is-open/) [William Mougayar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mougayar/) > [AT&T will not block access to the public Internet or degrade service, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-whitacre-jr/at-t-will-not-block-access-to-the-public-internet-or-degrade-service/) [Edward Whitacre, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-whitacre-jr/) > [“It’s important for you to understand that routers, which work at the Network layer, don’t care about where a particular host is located. They’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-lammle/it-s-important-for-you-to-understand-that-routers-which-work-at-the/) [Todd Lammle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-lammle/) > [“All of a sudden the market is all about algos and routers. It’s hard to figure this stuff out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/all-of-a-sudden-the-market-is-all-about-algos-and-routers-it-s-hard/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [“Remember that a computer is for computing and routers for routing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-tittel/remember-that-a-computer-is-for-computing-and-routers-for-routing/) [Ed Tittel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-tittel/) > [All of a sudden the market is all about algos and routers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/all-of-a-sudden-the-market-is-all-about-algos-and-routers/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [In the U.S., the term 'general aviation' means its exact opposite, the way 'public school' does in England. An English public school is private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/in-the-u-s-the-term-general-aviation-means-its-exact-opposite-the-way/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [Relativity was a highly technical new theory that gave new meanings to familiar concepts and even to the nature of the theory itself. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-c-cassidy/relativity-was-a-highly-technical-new-theory-that-gave-new-meanings/) [David C. Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-c-cassidy/) > [There cannot be any impediment to science that will ultimately be good to the general public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-cannot-be-any-impediment-to-science-that-will-ultimately-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The general public have a warped view of the speed at which an investigation proceeds. They like to imagine tense conversations going on behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-general-public-have-a-warped-view-of-the-speed-at-which-an/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) ## More by Vint Cerf > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [No matter what you do, any country in the world is going to have the ability to set its own rules internally. Any country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/no-matter-what-you-do-any-country-in-the-world-is-going-to-have-the/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [You should know that I've been hearing-impaired, not quite since birth, but I've been wearing hearing aids since I was 13, so I'm very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/you-should-know-that-i-ve-been-hearing-impaired-not-quite-since-birth/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [When I first joined Google in October of 2005, I was warned that I shouldn't be offended if people were doing their e-mails while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/when-i-first-joined-google-in-october-of-2005-i-was-warned-that-i/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [What would happen if our clothes were Internet-enabled? Can you imagine if you lost a sock? You could send out a search, and sock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/what-would-happen-if-our-clothes-were-internet-enabled-can-you/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [Like almost every major infrastructure, the Internet can be abused and its users harmed. We must, however, take great care that the cure for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/like-almost-every-major-infrastructure-the-internet-can-be-abused-and/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [The immediacy of the mobile changes it from what we're accustomed to in the personal computing world to something that's instantaneous... What's interesting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/the-immediacy-of-the-mobile-changes-it-from-what-we-re-accustomed-to/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [Internet and government is Topic A in every nation, all around the world. There is the question of getting the Internet built. That involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/internet-and-government-is-topic-a-in-every-nation-all-around-the/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [It seems pretty clear that the Internet has an important economic role to play for China as it reaches out to the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/it-seems-pretty-clear-that-the-internet-has-an-important-economic/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [It doesn't matter if it's a wireless or wired network. I think network management can be introduced that is equally sensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/it-doesn-t-matter-if-it-s-a-wireless-or-wired-network-i-think-network/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [The net's future is far from assured, and history offers much warning. Within a few decades of Gutenberg's creation, princes and priests moved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/the-net-s-future-is-far-from-assured-and-history-offers-much-warning/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [We've never lived in an environment in which it has been so easy to capture information and share it. That fact that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/we-ve-never-lived-in-an-environment-in-which-it-has-been-so-easy-to/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [Remember, 'governance' is a big word that includes human rights, freedom of speech, economic transactions on a worldwide basis - it touches everything. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/remember-governance-is-a-big-word-that-includes-human-rights-freedom/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [Google Apps for Education is a suite of applications intended to be helpful to higher level educational institutions, but in the long run, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/google-apps-for-education-is-a-suite-of-applications-intended-to-be/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [In 1973, the only cryptographic technology we could get our hands on was classified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/in-1973-the-only-cryptographic-technology-we-could-get-our-hands-on/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) [Explore all 83 Vint Cerf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) [Adam Imad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-imad/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) [Manae Poet Of Carisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manae-poet-of-carisis/) > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) [Jacklyn H Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacklyn-h-lucas/) [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By 1988, I'm seeing this commercial phenomenon beginning to show up. 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