ARPANET was the first network to implement the packet switching concept, which allows data to be broken into smaller packets and sent across various routes before being reassembled at the destination. Developed in the late 1960s by the U.S. Department of Defense, it connected several universities and research institutions, enabling them to share resources and communicate more effectively. As a pioneering project, ARPANET laid the groundwork for the modern Internet. It introduced key technologies like TCP/IP, which are still used today. Over time, ARPANET expanded and evolved, ultimately leading to the global network we rely on for communication and information sharing.