In this approach, the choice of any individual network technology was not dictated by a particular network architecture but rather could be selected freely by a provider and made to interwork with the other networks through a meta-level 'Internetworking Architecture'.

The IP separates the lower levels from the upper levels. In effect, the Internet layer is agnostic as to what means is used to transport Internet packets and is also agnostic as to what is carried in the payload of each Internet packet.

A consequence of this agnosticism is that the Internet is capable of carrying virtually any digital content, including sound, voice, video, images, text, and so on.

The implication is that services such as radio, television, and print publications can be transported through the Internet, assuming appropriate end-to-end transmission capacity.

A packet communication network includes a transportation mechanism for delivering data between computers or between computers and terminals.

The payoff in terms of survivability for a distributed configuration in the cases of enemy attacks directed against nodes, links, or combinations of nodes and links is demonstrated.

The requirements for a future all-digital-data distributed network which provides common user service for a wide range of users having different requirements is considered.

The use of a standard format message block permits building relatively simple switching mechanisms using an adaptive store-and-forward routing policy to handle all forms of digital data including "real-time" voice".