In January of this year, over 163 million Americans had Internet access, which is up almost 40 million from January 2000. That is a significant 33 percent rise just in American Internet users.

The average age of Internet surfers, reports ZDNet, http://www.zdnet.com/ is 38 years, and rising. The baby-boomers are coming on strong.

The average level of education shows that 39 percent hold a college degree, yet overall, this number is actually falling.

Can you guess which is fastest-growing segment of Web newbies?

It is Americans over 55 years old with working-class incomes and middle-class ideals that are fasting growing segment of newbies.

The face of 'Internet Community' has changed.

About five years ago, average Internet surfer was a white male, college educated and earning $50,000 plus a year.

Just this past month, women surpassed men as major Internet surfer for first time in history.

But Internet 2 is as real as it gets.

Launched in 1996, Internet2 offers lightning-fast connections to two fiber-optic backbone networks that ensure data arrives at its destination without loss or delay and already connects at least one university in each of 50 states in US.

Abilene, Internet2(R) backbone network, is in operation at speeds up to 2.4 gigabits per second, or 45,000 times faster than a typical modem.

It was developed in partnership with Qwest Communications, http://www.quest.net.nz/, Cisco Systems, http://www.cisco.com/, Nortel Networks, http://www.nortelnetworks.com/, and Indiana University, http://www.indiana.edu/.

It currently provides nationwide high-performance networking capabilities for over 180 Internet2 universities, which, in addition to high speed, provides advanced networking services such as multi-casting, IPv6, enables advanced applications such as High-Definition TV, tele-medicine and remote access to scientific instruments.

TV may soon stream into your home via your computer in a quality and level never before envisioned. And average person may well be able to create their own TV shows right on their own home computer.

Speed was one of major reasons for inception of "New Internet". Government and educational institutions were beginning to get bogged down within old Internet network system. If original vision was to be maintained, a new system would have to be implemented.